Congratulations to the following members on their recent accomplishments!

Paul Springer, Ph.D., has been named the new chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech. He has worked in the Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies as associate dean for student success at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 2007. Throughout his tenure at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he has directed several committees and has earned awards recognizing his pedagogy. Dr. Springer’s appointment with Virginia Tech will begin July 1. Read more.

Meeshay Williams-Wheeler, Ph.D., CFLE, has received the University of North Carolina 2023 Award for Excellence in Teaching, a prestigious honor unto outstanding faculty selected by the Board of Governors. She is associate professor, program coordinator of child development and family studies, and coordinator of the child development and family studies program in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Dr. Williams-Wheeler is lauded for her engaging, thought-provoking teaching style, genuine care and relationship she cultivates with her students, and her passion for teaching and student development. Read more.

Jerica Berge, Ph.D., MPH, LMFT, CFLE, has been named Distinguished McKnight University Professor, by the University of Minnesota, which recognizes outstanding faculty members who have recently achieved full professor status. She is professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health as well as the inaugural holder of the Carole J. Bland, Ph.D. Endowed Chair at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Berge’s research pursuits rest in whole-person, holistic health (i.e., physical, mental, behavioral, social), and she employs her multidisciplinary strengths from the fields of mental health, public health, and medicine to develop groundbreaking mixed-methods studies in order to identify multi-level determinants (i.e., individual, interpersonal, community, societal/structural) towards achieving health equity. Read more.

Stephen M. Gavazzi, Ph.D., has received the Marvin B. Sussman Award from the Groves Conference on Marriage and Family. As a recipient of this award, he has been invited to present his research on “land grab” universities, the impact on tribal communities, and steps toward atonement. This virtual presentation is free for anyone to watch on Monday, June 5th from 3-4 p.m. ET (Join via Zoom here). Dr. Gavazzi is a professor in the Department of Human Sciences at Ohio State University, and is director of CHRR, Ohio State’s center for data and survey excellence. Dr. Gavazzi is known for his work on a variety of higher education issues. His book Land-Grant Universities for the Future (co-authored with E. Gordon Gee) was published in 2018 by Johns Hopkins University Press.

Brian G. Ogolsky, Ph.D., has been promoted to full professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is also the director of graduate studies within his department. Dr. Ogolsky examines how relational partners maintain healthy romantic relationships across the life course as well as the ways in which law and policy influence daily family life. His work has the potential to inform practitioners and promote policy initiatives designed to enhance family dynamics.

Do you have news to share with NCFR? Fill out our webform and let us know!