Aug. 8, 2021

Melissa Herzog

Dr. Melissa Herzog earned her PhD in Family & Human Development from Arizona State University in 2007, along with a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2004. Since joining the Mizzou faculty, Dr. Herzog’s work has focused on prevention and intervention approaches to promote thriving in social and romantic relationships, including leadership positions in applied curriculum development and program evaluation. She is Co-PI for ShowMe Healthy Relationships, a federally-funded relationship education program serving single, adult Missourians. Within this work, Dr. Herzog is particularly interested in investigating correlates of response to intervention as well as the impact of relationship…

Aug. 4, 2021

Kelly Warzinik

Ms. Warzinik completed her Master of Science in Human Development & Family Studies at the University of MO in 2000. She worked as a Family Life Educator for University of WI-Extension in Waupaca County from 2000-2003 and later worked as Project Manager on several University of MO Extension healthy relationships projects from 2007-2014, including the Healthy Relationship and Marriage Education Training (HRMET), an 8-state partnership funded by DHHS-ACF. In 2014 she entered her current role advising students in Family and Lifespan Development and teaching courses including Foundations of Family Science and Partnering with Parents and Families. She also oversees field…

Aug. 2, 2021

Sarah Killoren

Dr. Sarah Killoren received her Ph.D. (2008) in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University. Her program of research focuses on associations between interpersonal relationships, culture, and adolescent and young adult adjustment. Currently, she is conducting studies on a) sibling relationships and youth’s experiences of stress; b) Latinx young adults’ romantic relationships; and c) female college students’ family relationships and their well-being. Her previous work includes projects focused on sisters’ communication about romantic relationships and sexuality and Mexican-origin college students’ well-being. She uses several different data collection techniques including in-depth interviews, surveys, and observations, and work with both quantitative…

July 27, 2021

Ashlie Lester

Dr. Ashlie Lester received her Master of Science in Family Studies and Human Services, emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, from Kansas State University in 2004. She earned her PhD in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Missouri in 2013. Dr. Lester’s research has focused on the intersection of intimate relationships and religion/spirituality. Currently, she engages in the scholarship of teaching and learning. As an instructor and graduate program advisor, she designs her courses so that students not only understand the life-changing science of HDFS, but also apply it to their personal and professional lives.

July 27, 2021

Kale Monk

Dr. Kale Monk earned his M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy from Kansas State University in 2013 and his PhD in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Illinois in 2017. His research primarily centers on romantic relationship quality and instability. More specifically, he is interested in how couples develop and maintain key relational processes (e.g., stability in commitment and satisfaction) across critical transitions (e.g., the transition to adulthood, the transition to marriage). Transitions provide the unique opportunity to understand change in relationships given that these critical periods require adjustments in how partners interact and react to each…

July 27, 2021

Russell Ravert

Dr. Russ Ravert earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University (2004), and M.S. from University of North Texas (1993). Prior to completing his doctarate, Dr. Ravert worked as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) in the adolescent unit and cystic fibrosis clinic at Johns Hopkins Medical Center. Dr. Ravert’s research focuses on attitudes, experiences, and behaviors related to health and psychological well-being during the years between adolescence and adulthood. His three primary research areas are a) young adults’ attitudes on taking risks at this time of life, b) the experience of attending college with a chronic health condition, and c) college…

July 20, 2021

Rachel Thibodeau-Nielsen

Dr. Rachel Thibodeau-Nielsen earned her PhD in Developmental Science and Cognitive Psychology with a minor in statistics from the University of Alabama in 2017.  Dr. Thibodeau-Nielsen’s research focuses on enhancing children’s school readiness and overall well-being by identifying mechanisms and developing interventions to improve cognitive and socio-emotional skills among preschoolers, particularly those who experience adversity in early childhood. Her primary interest is to examine play as a mechanism for development in early childhood. Her work shows that imaginative or pretend play — which involves cooperation, flexible thinking, shared emotions and support among peers and adults — can lay the foundation…

July 20, 2021

Brenda Lohman

Dr. Brenda J. Lohman is an internationally recognized scholar whose research examines how family, economic, and social contexts shape adolescent health and development across the life course. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from The Ohio State University in 2000 and has built an interdisciplinary research program grounded in developmental contextual and family systems perspectives. Her scholarship focuses on adolescent health, obesity, food insecurity, romantic relationships, and family policy, with particular attention to populations experiencing economic disadvantage. Through externally funded research and collaborations spanning public health, family science, and policy, Dr. Lohman’s work has advanced…