The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) is proud to recognize Tammy L. Henderson, Ph.D., CFLE, as the 2020 recipient of the Felix Berardo Scholarship Award, which is given to NCFR members for excellence in mentoring junior colleagues or students.

Dr. Henderson is a professor in the Department of Family Consumer Sciences at Lamar University. She received her doctorate from Oregon State University, and her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Louisiana State University. Dr. Henderson conducts research in the area of family policy, law, and diversity. She is the author of numerous research reports, translational briefs, book chapters, and articles in scholarly journals.

Dr. Henderson is an established leader at NCFR and is the conference chair for the 2021 NCFR Annual Conference. She has served in many capacities including as chair of the Diversity Task Force, and as an elected member of the board, chair of the Family Policy Section, and member of the Elections Council. She has also served as a member of the editorial boards of Journal of Family Theory & Review, and Family Relations.

Dr. Henderson is recognized by her students and peers alike as being endlessly compassionate, caring, and resourceful and for always going the extra mile to mentor others, particularly women of color and international students adjusting culturally to an American university environment. Dr. Henderson has created monthly mentorship meetings that include students and professionals across the country, many of which never had her as a professor.

Felix Berardo, the namesake of this award, was a beloved professor at the University of Florida who went beyond expectations in his mentoring of many students who became leaders in the family field.

Dr. Henderson was recognized for her achievement at a special Awards Ceremony during the 2020 NCFR Annual Conference on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020.

The National Council on Family Relations is the premier professional association for the multidisciplinary understanding of families. NCFR has a membership of nearly 3,000 family researchers, practitioners and educators. For more information on the National Council on Family Relations or its scholarly publications, visit the NCFR website at ncfr.org.