I hope that you enjoyed the 2016 NCFR conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota!

FH Section Happenings at the NCFR Conference:

The Families and Health (FH) Section presented a record number of 78 posters (six poster symposiums) and 13 sessions, including four paper presentation sessions, five symposiums, one workshop, and a lightning paper session focusing on various families and health topics, such as obesity, chronic illness, violence, trauma, sleep, aging, siblings and health, military families, and health disparities. We continue to lead the NCFR sections with the most conference proposal submissions. Keep it up, because submissions = presentation slots!

We also had our FH Section business meeting at which we appointed new section officers. The new incoming officers include the following:

Chair: Jerica Berge, Ph.D., MPH, LMFT, CFLE

Secretary/Treasurer: Amber Seidel, Ph.D., CFLE

Student/New Professional Representative: Brianna Routh, MS (current Ph.D. student)

Chair-Elect: Kimberly Greder, Ph.D., CFLE

Past Chair: Karina Shreffler, Ph.D. 

Communication Specialist: Christina Marini, MS

Paper Winners:

At the FH Section meeting we also announced the winners of our Student/New Professional and Professional Best Paper awards. Winners received a plaque and $200. The winners were as follows:

Student/New Professional Paper: Christina Marini, MS, for “Emotion Expression, Avoidance and Psychological Health During Reintegration: A Dyadic Analysis of Actor and Partner Associations Within a Sample of Military Couples”

Professional Paper: Amy Rauer, Ph.D., for “Romantic Relationships and Alcohol Use: A Long-Term, Developmental Approach.”

Thank you to all who submitted proposals or papers for awards, as well as those of you who reviewed for our section in 2016. The success of our section depends on your engagement. In the upcoming months, please consider submitting a proposal to the FH Section for the 2017 conference in Orlando, Florida.

Free Trial Membership for One Year:

In our preconference newsletter and at the Newcomers Reception, we gave out a coupon to try out the FH Section for one year. Those of you who took advantage of this opportunity will be getting an email soon regarding your free one year of membership to the section. We hope you find membership advantageous and stick around after the year is up.

Logo Contest:

We are having a logo design competition! Any FH section member is eligible to submit a logo design that represents the essence of the Families and Health Section. The competition will go until June 2016. Submit logos to me at [email protected]. The winner of the logo contest will receive a one-year membership to NCFR.

Section Spotlight:

The FH Section Spotlight for this newsletter is Christina Marini. Christina is the recipient of the FH Best Student/New Professional Paper Award. Her paper, “Emotion Expression, Avoidance, and Psychological Health During Reintegration: A Dyadic Analysis of Actor and Partner Associations Within a Sample of Military Couples,” speaks to her research focus on links between couple processes and mental health in the context of stress and transition. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Purdue University, where she works with Dr. Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth. Although originally from the East Coast, she has grown fond of the Midwest and all its farmers’ markets, unique coffee shops, and antique stores.

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