NCFR members Olena Nesteruk, Ph.D.; Maria Carpiac, Ph.D., MSW, CPG; and Erica Jordan, Ph.D., CFLE, were each recognized with a Cognella Innovation in Teaching Award for Family Science at the 2023 NCFR Annual Conference. 

Publisher Cognella and NCFR partnered to create the award, which recognizes outstanding instructors in the Family Science discipline who go above and beyond to introduce cutting-edge teaching practices that engage their students and advance the discipline.

Fostering Global Relationships and Inspiring International Compassion and Understanding

The first place honor goes to Olena Nesteruk, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Family Science and Human Development at Montclair State University. The judging panel was impressed with how she created the "Pen Pal Project" in the wake of Russia invading Ukraine in February of 2022. Developed for students taking her Immigrant Families course, the project is a global cross-cultural initiative in partnership with teachers and children in a middle school in Chervonohrad, a small town in the western part of Ukraine. The program not only provides her students a glimpse into the lives of Ukrainian children, families, and communities who have been displaced and impacted by war, it also fosters meaningful relationships and greater cultural understanding among participants in both sides of the program.

Within the course, each student was partnered with an eighth-grade Ukrainian student. Using emails, social media, and video calls, class time was dedicated toward fostering cross-cultural friendships as students learned about each other’s families, schools, hobbies, and dreams. When missile strikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure caused widespread power outages, the courageous Ukrainian cohort kept in touch by sending postcards to their American pen pals. During the holidays, the pen pals exchanged gifts; American students recorded a video with holiday greetings and mailed cards and gifts. This experience empowered Dr. Nesteruk’s students to think more broadly about advocacy and social action and engage in helping rather than watching from the sidelines during an act of war. This exposure is pivotal for students’ training to develop cultural competencies as they prepare for careers as helping professionals.

The panel believes Dr. Nesteruk’s innovation, compassion, and dedication to connecting her students with real-world opportunities and challenges will well prepare the next generation of Family Science professionals.

The judging panel was so impressed by the entries submitted by Dr. Nesteruk and Dr. Carpiac; they chose to award both educators with first-place awards.

Energizing the Study of Aging through Connections to Pop Culture and Real-World Perspectives

The first place honor goes to Maria Carpiac, Ph.D., MSW, CPG, director of the gerontology program at California State University, Long Beach, has developed a course titled, Women and Aging: Lessons from the Golden Girls, which has become very popular among students and breathed life into the study of gerontology at the university. In the course, she screens episodes of the classic TV show Golden Girls and then leverages its plot points and themes to initiate rich discussions about issues and topics related to aging, including ageism, stereotypes, elder abuse, dementia, end-of-life, and more. 

In addition to including an engaging and effective framework, Dr. Carpiac utilizes a bevy of instructional methods, such as flipping the classroom, online instruction, connecting students with gerontology-minded people and other professionals in the field, scaffolding assignments, small group work, large group discussions, and making the class student-driven through cofacilitation of class sessions. This course attracts a truly intergenerational group with students ranging in age from their early 20s through their late 60s. This diversity allows for meaningful and nuanced discussions across age groups. Dr. Carpiac mentioned the greatest compliment she received was when a student brought her mother to a class session (with permission), because she thought the content was so important.

The judging panel was thrilled to honor Dr. Carpiac’s dedication to advocacy, research, and teaching in the areas of aging and gerontology.

Helping Students and Professionals Understand the Depth and Breadth of Career Paths in Family Science

The second place honor goes to Erica Jordan, Ph.D., CFLE, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences at the University of Houston. Recognizing a need for career exploration resources to empower family science students, Dr. Jordan redesigned the Careers in Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) course and developed a corresponding website and podcast that can be accessed by anyone, ad-free and free of charge. These efforts have improved the online classroom environment, increased access for students, stimulated interest in family science, and served as a creative and innovative use of technology in teaching. 

In particular, the judging panel was impressed with Dr. Jordan’s development of the HDFS Careers website and podcast, which (at the time of this award application) features 28 full-length interviews with professionals across the discipline, showcasing the depth and breadth of career paths in family science. The show has more than 10,000 show listeners from 19 countries around the world, demonstrating the impact of this resource not only for Dr. Jordan’s students but also for a broad range of students and professionals internationally. 

The judging panel was thrilled to recognize Dr. Jordan’s innovative technological practices and her ability to help students and professionals understand the depth and breadth of career paths available to them in family science. 

To learn more about the recipients' unique contributions and innovations, read their profiles on the Cognella website.