The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) has conferred its prestigious Fellow status on Stephen T. Russell, Priscilla Pond Flawn Regents Professor in Child Development in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Texas-Austin.

Dr. Russell earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Wake Forest University, his master’s degree in sociology from The College of William and Mary, and his Ph.D. in sociology from Duke University. He extended his training as a postdoctoral research associate in the life course studies program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and then began his career in academia as an assistant professor and extension specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1997.

A distinguished and internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Russell has made sustained and influential contributions to scholarship on youth development, LGBT families, school curriculum and climate, and family policy.  He has published more than 100 refereed journal articles and book chapters and his work is widely cited. Equally impressive, his nominators certify that he is a vocal and very effective advocate for social justice and inclusivity. In particular, “his research on the school environment’s impact on the health and well-being of ethnic minority and sexual minority students has helped the field to understand the importance of creating safe climates for all young people.”

Dr. Russell has performed extensive service to NCFR through his frequent presentations at annual conferences and his leadership on the Board of Directors. He has won multiple awards for his scholarship, teaching, and mentoring, as well as his leadership and administration in family science.  Among his many honors, he received the prestigious Young Scholar Award from the W. T. Grant Foundation and the Wayne F. Placek award from the American Psychological Foundation, and he served as President of the Society for Research on Adolescence.

The National Council on Family Relations is the premier professional association for the multidisciplinary understanding of families. NCFR has a membership of more than 3,000 family researchers, practitioners and educators. For more information on the National Council on Family Relations or its scholarly publications, contact NCFR at 1-888-781-9331 or visit its website at www.ncfr.org.