Oct. 27, 2025

I-Fen Lin

Dr. Lin earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to joining the Department of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Missouri in 2025 as Coleman-Ganong Endowed Professor in Family Structure and Family Process, she held the position of Professor of Research Excellence at Bowling Green State University. As a family scholar, Dr. Lin investigates parent-child relationships across the life course. With support from federal and non-federal funding sources, she has published extensively on union formation and dissolution, intergenerational transfers, and late-life caregiving. A hallmark of her scholarship is identifying and addressing conceptual…

Sep. 18, 2025

Keely Alexander

Dr. Keely Alexander is a Licensed Psychologist and Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Missouri, where she also serves as Director of Clinical Training for the APA-accredited Counseling Psychology doctoral program. An alum of the program, Dr. Alexander brings a deep investment in the identity, values, and future of counseling psychology. She also serves as a board member for the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs (CCPTP).   Dr. Alexander’s professional experience spans academic teaching, clinical supervision, and applied mental health practice across college counseling and community settings. She has taught a wide range of graduate courses, including…

July 6, 2023

Megan Gilligan

Dr. Megan Gilligan earned a Dual-Title Ph.D. in sociology and gerontology from Purdue University in 2013. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. Dr. Gilligan’s research focuses on family relationships and well-being, with particular interest in parent-child and sibling relationships in the middle and later years. Much of her recent work has focused on family caregiving. She is the Principal Investigator on a K01 award from the National Institute on Aging on the health impact of sibling relations on caregivers for parents with dementia. Her work has been published in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, The Gerontologist,…

June 8, 2023

Naomi Meinertz

Dr. Naomi Meinertz received her Ph.D. in 2022 in Human Development and Family Studies from Iowa State University with minors in Gerontology and Political Science. Dr. Meinertz works to understand family care experiences and intergenerational relationships in later life and to bridge research and practice through translational science. Broadly, her research focuses on family caregiving processes and family care networks with the goal to help better prepare older adults and their families for later life care situations. Dr. Meinertz’s future research will explore care partnerships in under researched populations, such as blended and stepfamilies, as well as families from diverse…

July 11, 2022

Kellie Seals

Dr. Kellie Seals earned a joint Doctorate of Education in agricultural education from Texas A&M and Texas Tech Universities in 2021 and holds a Master of Science in instructional technology from Mississippi State University (2011). Dr. Seals works with both researchers and practitioners to serve youth in the state of Missouri by leading college and career programming and evaluation efforts for Missouri 4-H. Her professional background is in teaching, rural public education administration, postsecondary readiness programming, research education, and instructional design. Her research interests include experiential learning, career interest development, rural education, and student-teacher (youth-mentor) relationships. She leads collaborative efforts…

Nov. 23, 2021

Francisco Palermo

Dr. Francisco Palermo earned his Ph.D. in Family & Human Development in 2009 from Arizona State University. His research focuses on strengthening families and fostering young children’s healthy development and school readiness, particularly for vulnerable families and children at risk of experiencing socioemotional and academic difficulties due to limited English proficiency and adverse childhood experiences, such as poverty.

Nov. 23, 2021

Chelsea Garneau-Rosner

Chelsea Garneau-Rosner earned her Ph.D. in Family Relations from Florida State University in 2012. Dr. Garneau-Rosner’s program of research examines family processes and individual, couple, and family well-being in the context of family stability and complex family structures. She places particular emphasis on program evaluation to identify effective strategies for professionals working with families in community settings to improve well-being and enhance family stability. Since 2015, with funding from the Administration for Children and Families, Dr. Garneau-Rosner has been Co-PI and Director of ShowMe Healthy Relationships (SMHR), bringing free evidence-based relationship education classes to over 5,000 single and coupled adults…