The Family Therapy Section had an exciting section meeting this year. We heard from both the Student and New Professional paper award winners as well as engaged in an interactive speed networking activity.

The winner of the student paper award was Lindsay Edwards and her paper was entitled “MFT training in sexual minority issues: A core faculty perspective.” The winner of the new professional paper award was Ryan Seedall and his paper was entitled “Emotional Congruence within Couple Interaction: The Role of Attachment Avoidance.”

I am also excited to announce the winners of our Student and New Professional Poster Awards. Amy Claridge won the student poster award for her poster “Predictors of Supportive Co-Parenting: Impact of Social Support and Abortion Consideration.” Erika Grafsky won the new professional poster award with her poster entitled “Understanding Substance Use among ‘Healthy’ Sexual Minority Youth.” I would like to congratulate all of the winners and thank all of the reviewers who so graciously volunteered their time.

At the conclusion of the conference, a new leadership team took office: Christi McGeorge (chair), Shayne Anderson (chair-elect), Rachel Tambling (secretary/treasurer), and Lindsay Edwards (student/new professional representative). We are excited to be working with the members of the section for the next two years.

At the conference next year, NCFR will be celebrating its 75th anniversary and the Family Therapy Section will be awarding the second Kathleen Briggs Mentoring Award. In recognition the of the Kathleen Briggs Mentoring award, we will be engaging in a very special mentoring activity during the section meeting. Finally, please remember to prepare those submissions for the next conference (due March 1, 2013). I hope to see y’all in San Antonio for what is sure to be a truly fantastic conference.