Margery Runyan, PhD

Margery Runyan, PhD

  • Sandy and Dr. Mercy met each other at the International Twins Association convention in Tempe, Arizona.
  • Special guest Pamela Prindle Fierro is an author and mother of identical twins, Pamela sought to connect with fellow parents of twins for advice and companionship. She now writes and supports other families with multiples, to encourage them in their parenting journey. She's written and produced numerous Web features on parenting and home management. Pamela is the author of three books:
    • Everything Twins, Triplets and More (2012)
    • Your Pregnancy Devotional (2006)
    • Mommy Rescue Guide Twins, Triplets, and More: Lifesaving Techniques and Advice for Surviving Life with Multiples (2008)
  • BIO: Anne Sisson Runyan is a Professor in the Department of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies at the University of Cincinnati (UC) with a Ph.D. in International Relations from The American University. She additionally holds an appointment in Political Science at UC and a visiting appointment at the Centre for Feminist Research at York University, Toronto. She previously founded and directed women’s studies programs at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Potsdam and Wright State University (WSU).  A pioneer of feminist international relations and a recipient of  an Eminent Scholar Award from the International Studies Association, she is the co-author of Global Gender Issues and the co-editor of Gender and Global Restructuring. She has headed five academic departments and has directed international exchange projects. Dr. Runyan has taught graduate and undergraduate courses, including Transnational Feminist Theory, Feminist Political Theory, Feminist Research, Women and Politics, Gender and International Relations, and Gender and Globalization. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:  Dr. Mercy has been privileged to have exceptional sisters and parents.  Her mother Margery and younger sister Anne will guest on the program to share their experiences with the twins Malinda and Margery (Dr. Mercy) throughout their shared lives.  Dr. Mercy’s mother raised four girls in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband Richard who was a graduate of Cornell Law and brilliant labor lawyer. Mother Margery, herself raised in Cincinnati, is a graduate of Smith College and holds a master’s degree in library science.  She worked as librarian for the City of Dayton for many years and now at 90 she is happily supported by her friends at Bethany Village in Centerville.  Mother Margery is proud of her heritage and leadership within the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Magna Charta.  Her third daughter Anne is a professor at the University of Cincinnati and her fourth daughter Catherine is raising her two daughters and step sons in Columbus.  This is an Ohio family died in the wool.  How did Dr. Mercy end up outside Ohio?  Tune in to hear Dr. Mercy’s childhood story.
     
  • BIO: Anne Sisson Runyan is a Professor in the Department of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies at the University of Cincinnati (UC) with a Ph.D. in International Relations from The American University. She additionally holds an appointment in Political Science at UC and a visiting appointment at the Centre for Feminist Research at York University, Toronto. She previously founded and directed women’s studies programs at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Potsdam and Wright State University (WSU).  A pioneer of feminist international relations and a recipient of  an Eminent Scholar Award from the International Studies Association, she is the co-author of Global Gender Issues and the co-editor of Gender and Global Restructuring. She has headed five academic departments and has directed international exchange projects. Dr. Runyan has taught graduate and undergraduate courses, including Transnational Feminist Theory, Feminist Political Theory, Feminist Research, Women and Politics, Gender and International Relations, and Gender and Globalization. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:  Dr. Mercy has been privileged to have exceptional sisters and parents.  Her mother Margery and younger sister Anne will guest on the program to share their experiences with the twins Malinda and Margery (Dr. Mercy) throughout their shared lives.  Dr. Mercy’s mother raised four girls in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband Richard who was a graduate of Cornell Law and brilliant labor lawyer. Mother Margery, herself raised in Cincinnati, is a graduate of Smith College and holds a master’s degree in library science.  She worked as librarian for the City of Dayton for many years and now at 90 she is happily supported by her friends at Bethany Village in Centerville.  Mother Margery is proud of her heritage and leadership within the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Magna Charta.  Her third daughter Anne is a professor at the University of Cincinnati and her fourth daughter Catherine is raising her two daughters and step sons in Columbus.  This is an Ohio family died in the wool.  How did Dr. Mercy end up outside Ohio?  Tune in to hear Dr. Mercy’s childhood story.
     
  • Dr. Mercy has reached out to organizers and potential participants in the Twins Day Festival happening this weekend in Twinsburg, Ohio.  She is hoping to connect with people attending the festival during Twin Talk show time to discover what brings them to the festival, what do they love about it, and what experiences do they carry home into their lives.  The festival begins officially Friday, August 6 with a day of activities devoted to twins and their families.  The following two days are open to the public.  Anyone in the neighborhood of Cleveland may want to attend the weekend festivities including a parade Saturday morning, twin contests, and twin talent shows.  The festival is an ideal place for researchers to connect with twin subjects for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and booths at the festival are purchased by agencies for their research.  Dr. Mercy will discuss some of the studies during the show or later in the Twin Talk series.
  • Karey Baker is the mother of two 6-year-old twin boys who were diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis.
  • This show will explore the actual experiences of two female identical twins during childhood, adolescence and adulthood.  Lee and Jesse will relate stories from their early lives illustrating their alikeness and differences, their comfort with other children, their position in the family, and the advantages and disadvantages of twinship.  They will also answer the questions: 1. How is it different to be the first born or the second born? 2. How do you see yourselves as different from each other? 3. How do your parents see you as different from each other? 4. How did you relate to each other in School? 5. What did you share?  Friends?  Belongings? 6. Did you have some secrets from each other and from the world? 7. How did your sister influence your career? 8. How did your twinship affect your view of health and wellness?
  • Pamela Daniel and Dr. Mercy met several years ago at a Twinless Twins conference in Denver, Colorado and became fast friends.
  • Dr. Nancy Segal, Professor of Psychology and Director of Twin Studies at the California State University, Fullerton, will be discussing her life time of research on twins. As a fraternal twin, psychologist and researcher, Dr. Segal has been uniquely positioned to perform ground-breaking studies on twins including her work at the University of Minnesota with twins separated at birth and reunited in adulthood and her most recent study on the development of Chinese twins adopted internationally both apart and together. Her other research has included the behavioral similarities of virtual twins (same age unrelated children raised together) and the behavioral consequences of twin loss. Dr. Segal is considered one of the foremost experts on the nature versus nurture controversy based on her quantitative studies of twins’ behaviors. Dr. Segal will be prepared to discuss the nature of twin relationships, twin development, twins accused of cheating at school, and twin relationships within the family. Dr. Nancy Segal has written seven books about twins.  Dr. Segal has authored approximately 250 scientific articles and book chapters in addition to her many books. A recent paper won a 2007 Award for Excellence in Research from the Mensa Foundation. She is also an Associate Editor of Twin Research and Human Genetics, the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies. She serves on the editorial boards of a number of journals, including Twin Research and Human Genetics, Evolution and Human Behavior and Human Ethology.
  • Dr. Nancy Segal, Professor of Psychology and Director of Twin Studies at the California State University, Fullerton, will be discussing How Identical are Identical Twins. Dr. Segal has written seven books about twins. Dr. Segal has authored approximately 250 scientific articles and book chapters in addition to her many books. A recent paper won a 2007 Award for Excellence in Research from the Mensa Foundation. She is also an Associate Editor of Twin Research and Human Genetics, the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies. She serves on the editorial boards of a number of journals, including Twin Research and Human Genetics, Evolution and Human Behavior and Human Ethology.
  • Dr. Mercy has heard from many twins that she would love the novel I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb, whose books have been popularized by the Oprah Book Club and the merits of his fictional style. The 40-year-old ‘hero’ is an identical twin whose brother has paranoid schizophrenia. The novel covers their childhood, family history (which includes twins), and his psychotherapy with a psychologist who helps him integrate these pieces of his psyche.  Dr. Mercy will be discussing the patterns of twinship attributed to the characters in the novel and their importance in the structure of the novel. Tune in and hear how Wally Lamb, a celebrated fiction writer and teacher, handles the twin theme. #1 New York Times Bestseller and Oprah Book Club selection: "Thoughtful . . . heart-wrenching . . . . An exercise in soul-baring storytelling—with the soul belonging to 20th-century America itself. It's hard to read and to stop reading, and impossible to forget."  — USA Today Dominick Birdsey, a forty-year-old housepainter living in Three Rivers, Connecticut, finds his subdued life greatly disturbed when his identical twin brother Thomas, a paranoid schizophrenic, commits a shocking act of self-mutilation. Dominick is forced to care for his brother as well as confront dark secrets and pain he has buried deep within himself—a journey of the soul that takes him beyond his blue-collar New England town to Sicily’s Mount Etna, the birthplace of his grandfather and namesake. Coming to terms with his life and lineage, Dominick struggles to find forgiveness and finally rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his troubled twin. I Know This Much Is True is a masterfully told story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal—an unforgettable masterpiece.   I Know this Much is True - Amazon
  • Diane is the grandmother of fraternal girl twins who are barely two months old.  This miracle pregnancy of her 24-year old daughter came as a marvelous surprise.  The twins were born healthy and named Lila and Nikita.  Diane has been instrumental in their care since the beginning; she has put her heart and soul into the health and well-being of the twins and their parents.  The father is a Navy Seal and expert sniper who spent several tours in Iraq.   This young family is struggling to care for the infants and make financial ends meet.  The grandmother has provided respite care for the beautiful twins whenever the mom and dad needed some time to relax.  She will discuss her role in this evolving situation and some of her feelings.  Dr. Mercy has done natal charts for the two twins and will discuss her findings with the grandmother during the show.  The natal chart according to Dr. Carl Jung reflects the soul's intention for this lifetime and may provide some insight into the destiny of these two tiny girls. Biography:  Diane is descended from Hungarian royalty and danced with several ballet companies when younger.  Her outer beauty reflects a powerful inner spirit and determination to live an extraordinary life.  Diane has raised four children from two marriages, one boy and three girls.  Two of her daughters have lost their lives: one to a drug overdose and the other to a rare disease.  These two daughters are still very deeply missed.  She is now married to a third husband who adores her and has helped her family in every way possible during the year since their marriage.  She is thrilled with the newly born twin granddaughters and has expressed that there may be a synchronicity between two grandgirls born and two daughters deceased.

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