This award, presented by NCFR's Ethnic Minorities Section, was established for the purpose of recognizing distinguished scholars, researchers and practitioners who have made significant contributions to the areas of ethnic minorities families. The award is presented in memory of Marie E. Peters who was a distinguished scholar, researcher, practitioner, and mentor, as well as an illustrious member of NCFR, a Board Member, and the Ethnic Minorities Section leader.

William D. Allen, Ph.D., is a family scholar who was trained at the University of Minnesota. Grounded in theoretical orientations, Dr. Allen has a keen interest in the practice of family therapy and combines his passion for theory and research with best practice skills in family interventions. He is a licensed marital and family therapist in Minnesota and is the owner of a private practice called Healing Bonds. He serves, among other things, as a consultant to private and public institutions on a range of issues related to mental health and well-being. In addition, Dr. Allen has served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Allen has a number of research and clinical interests related to culturally diverse families and the roles that males play in family life across the lifespan. He has published numerous articles on topics ranging from explorations of adolescent fatherhood and African-American marriages, to effective therapeutic approaches for working with African-American males and supporting youth of color in the child welfare system.

The National Council on Family Relations is the nation's premier professional association for the multidisciplinary understanding of families. NCFR has a membership of over 3500 family researchers, practitioners and educators.  For more information on the National Council on Family Relations or its scholarly publications, contact NCFR at 1-888-781-9331 or visit its website at www.ncfr.org .