I want to invite you all to the 74th Annual Conference of the National Council on Family Relations, October 31–November 3, in Phoenix, Arizona. As you know by now, the theme of this year’s conference is “Families and Health,” and I am very excited about the stimulating and diverse program we have put together around this theme.

When I selected the theme in 2010, I was apprehensive as to whether it would still be timely in 2012. Little did I know that our country would still be embroiled in heated debate over access to healthcare. Nor did I know how extensively family scholars would be immersing themselves in health-related research. I believe the relevance of this topic is evidenced by three characteristics of this year’s program.

First, we had record numbers of submissions for the program. As a result, the caliber of the selected symposia, papers, and other aspects of the program is extremely high.

Second, in my many decades in NCFR, I don’t remember ever seeing a program where the overwhelming majority of the submissions and accepted sessions were directly about the conference theme. This year’s program takes a multifaceted approach to health, examining topics such as childhood obesity, immigrant health, disparities in women’s health, health of transgendered teens, religion and health, chronic illness, health in the military, and families and autism. And in typical NCFR fashion, basic research, intervention, and policy are all addressed as we look at the intersection of families and health.

Finally, this year’s program boasts more than 25 submitted and invited symposia featuring leading scholars in family science. In recent years, attendee surveys have revealed that symposia organized and submitted by colleagues around a common topic are the most preferred conference format. Thus, I am delighted that so many outstanding scholars doing cutting-edge work in families and health took the time to pull together comprehensive treatments of these topics.

I would like to highlight some aspects of the conference that I am most excited about. First, I think our outstanding plenary speakers will provide state-of-the-science overviews on four of the most pressing health challenges impacting families. Jacqueline Campbell from Johns Hopkins University will speak on the long-term health effects of family violence. Barbara Fiese from the University of Illinois will address the epidemic of childhood obesity, moving from the family factors in the development and treatment of the problem to public policy implications. Brian Smedley from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies will provide an overview of innovative programming at the community level to address health disparities. Finally, Sara Honn Qualls from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, will speak on the challenges families face in caring for aging family members.

Among several outstanding special sessions, I want to call your attention to the panel titled “Family Science and Public Health: Our Shared Future” on Friday afternoon. Faculty members from departments and colleges that have undergone some type of integration of the two disciplines in recent years will discuss the opportunities and challenges these moves present for us in terms of discipline identity, research, and administration.

Finally, there are two related activities that I am excited about and that should be fun and educational, as well as supporting our concern for social justice. I want to encourage all attendees to participate in both the Tuesday evening preconference workshop and the Saturday morning 5K walk/run. On Tuesday evening at 6:30, BorderLinks (http://www.borderlinks.org), a nonprofit education and service organization that focuses on the needs and lives of Mexican immigrants, will present “Legal Immigration Simulation: Would You Be In or Out?” This simulation turns participants into potential immigrants navigating the legal system to help answer the commonly encountered question, “Why don’t they just get in line and come over legally?” If you didn’t register for this session when you submitted your conference registration, call the NCFR main office and they will get you registered.

Given the excellent work of BorderLinks, I am delighted that they are the beneficiary of our second event, the “Walk to Phoenix 5K Fun Walk/Run.” I know many of you have been using your pedometers to keep track of your steps between the 2011 and 2012 conferences. Whether you did this or not, you are invited to participate in the culminating Fun Walk/Run on Saturday morning. To provide a contribution to BorderLinks and cover expenses, there will be a small registration fee. Watch the NCFR website for the specifics of registering. If all else fails, bring your running shoes and register onsite.

I would like to thank all the section chairs who worked so hard to put together a stimulating and timely program. I believe they have been successful and you will all enjoy your time in Phoenix, both professionally and socially. A huge thanks also goes out to NCFR staff Cindy Winter, Charlie Cheese-brough, and Judy Schutz. Without their amazing support, the conference simply would not happen.

So I invite you now to take this time to peruse the conference program, make your schedule, and join us in Phoenix for a fantastic 74th NCFR Annual Conference.