The Advancing Family Science Section is recognizing distinguished students, scholars, mentors, teachers, and administrators through bestowing six awards, two of which are new for 2020.

In this update, we would like to congratulate the recipients of one of the inaugural awards, the Advancing Family Science Emerging Mentor/Teacher Award: Anthony J. Ferraro, Ph.D., CFLE, assistant professor, Department of Applied Human Sciences, Kansas State University.

Dr. Ferraro was selected as the recipient for his demonstrated excellence in teaching and mentorship practices. Congratulations, Dr. Ferraro! We look forward to celebrating our other award recipients at the Advancing Family Science Section meeting in November.

The Advancing Family Science Section is looking forward to finding creative ways to connect with and learn from one another at this year’s virtual conference. In addition to showcasing outstanding posters, roundtables, and symposia, many presenters have responded to Dr. Brad van Eeden-Moorefield’s call for highly interactive sessions, and we are excited to announce that we will be offering five interactive workshops throughout the conference. These include the following:

• Preparing Students for a Changing World: Reimagining HDFS Curricula to Attract, Support, and Prepare Undergraduate Students (Session #103, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 10–11:15 a.m. CT) Presenters: Shannon Corkery, Jennifer Zosh, Michael Sturm, Janet Melnick, Robin Yaure, and Hobart Cleveland
• Leading Undergraduate Programs: Challenges and Resources—An Interactive Workshop (Session #113, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. CT). Presenters: Lawrence G. Shelton, Adrienne L. Edwards, Dee Hill-Zuganelli, and Jacqueline K. Wilkins
• Building Resiliency Through a Trauma-Informed Classroom (Session #114, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. CT). Presenters: Julia Bernard, Audrey Besch, and Lisa Dunkley
• Teaching Undergraduate and Graduate Students to Think Like Family Scientists: Fostering Critical Thinking and Scientific Reasoning (Session #203, Thursday, Nov. 12, 10–11:15 a.m. CT). Presenters: Robert Hughes Jr., Jennifer L. Hardesty, Brian G. Ogolsky, Aaron T. Ebata, TeKisha M. Rice, and Brianna L. Anderson
• Critical Reflections on Teaching “Diversity” From the Margins: Graduate Teaching Associates’ Experiences and Perspectives (Session #226, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2:30–3:45 p.m. CT). Presenters: Amanda Capannola, Jasmine M. Routon, Samuel Allen, TeKisha M. Rice, Jacob Goffnet, and Kristy Y. Shih

The Advancing Family Science section is also supporting a special session, A Town Hall: Creating a Common Canon for HDFS Graduate Studies, by Bahira Sherif Trask and Joseph G. Grzywacz (Session #323, Friday, Nov. 13, 2:30–3:45 p.m. CT), as well as an invited presenter symposium, Exploring the Benefits, Challenges, and Opportunities Inherent to Non-Tenure-Track Labor in Family Science (Session #225, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2:30–3:45 p.m. CT) presented by Family Science scholars across the country.

Finally, please mark your calendar for the Advancing Family Science Section Member Meeting (Session #135, Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 4 p.m. CT). We will discuss our accomplishments this year, new and continuing goals, and transition to our new leadership team. Hope to see you there!