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Thank You, Proposal Submitters / Volunteer to Review Conference Proposals / Submit proposals to TCRM / Congrats 2024 NCFR Fellow / Attend NCFR's Focus Group Webinar / NCFR Nexus Call for Articles / National Parenting Education Day

NCFR Weekly Zippy News

Thursday, April 3, 2025

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Support NCFR's Student Access Grant

Your Gift, Their Family Science Future

Over the past five years, 284 students have received the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Student Access Grant, opening doors to career-changing opportunities at NCFR and beyond. This year, as support for diversity initiatives faces increasing challenges, ensuring that students from historically marginalized racial communities have access to critical professional development spaces is more important than ever.

The goal: Raise $30,000 in April 2025 to support 100 Students of Color in accessing professional development and advancement.

With your help:

• 20 students will receive full access to the 2025 NCFR conference, a $500 travel stipend, and a one-year NCFR membership - ensuring access to critical opportunities for academic and professional advancement.

• 80 students will receive Bridge access to 2025 NCFR conference sessions, connecting them to impactful Family Science knowledge and professional development opportunities.

Please consider making a donation today. Every contribution, big or small, helps us create opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. Together, we can empower the next generation of diverse Family Scientists. Your support makes all the difference.

DONATE NOW

If you are not able to donate at this time, you can still make a meaningful impact. Joining or renewing your NCFR membership directly supports the student resources and professional development opportunities NCFR provides. Every member strengthens our ability to foster the next generation of Family Science professionals.

★To kick-start this campaign, 100% of the NCFR Board of Directors has committed to this initiative, demonstrating their full support and commitment to ensuring that inclusion, diversity, justice, equity, and international perspectives are present in Family Science.★

NCFR 2025

2025 NCFR Annual Conference

Thank you to everyone who submitted a NCFR conference proposal for 2025 by the deadline of April 1.

Proposals are being reviewed and all first authors will be notified of their proposal status by June 20, 2025.

Please keep reading for more upcoming opportunities to submit your work for publication!

NCFR Member Benefit

We can certainly benefit from the support of NCFR members to review conference proposals. If you were considering it, please know that there is still time for you to sign up to volunteer. We celebrate that we have received a significantly high number of proposals this year—in fact, this is the highest number of proposals in 7 years. This is a win for this year's streamlined process. 

If you did not get a chance to submit your abstract, this is a great opportunity to engage in the scholarly process and is also of great value.

Your involvement is paramount! Your participation ensures a high-quality program (all proposals will be blind-reviewed). Please sign up and help make a great conference!

>>Sign up for this member-only opportunity today<< (login required)

Not a member? Join or renew your membership and you too can partake in this volunteer opportunity

Thank you to those who have volunteered to review this year's conference proposals!

TCRM 2025

>>Submit to TCRM by April 15<<

Are you interested in moving your cutting-edge work forward as it relates to family theory and/or research methods? Submit your proposal to the Theory Construction and Research Methodology (TCRM) Workshop.

TCRM is a longstanding tradition within NCFR and is held onsite at the NCFR Annual Conference. The TCRM Workshop offers a unique opportunity for scholars—and ALL are welcome, whether you are an undergraduate student, graduate student, new professional, etc.

Working papers on family theory and research methodology are reviewed, discussed, and strengthened in this unique, interactive environment. TCRM's unique purpose and format is designed to promote discussion and provide a forum for feedback that moves working papers and ideas forward.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TCRM

PLUS, in addition to the previously used proposal formats, you have the option to submit a question poster. Read more about this NEW proposal format.

NCFR Member Benefit

The TCRM co-chairs would benefit from NCFR members volunteering their time to this important initiative. Reviewers should be able to provide constructive feedback to the author(s) about their proposed work, to include technical soundness of the work, importance of the topic, rigor of the analysis, and more. Your time and commitment will ensure a highly active and interactive exchange.

>>Sign up for this member-only opportunity by April 15<< (login required)

Here is a little bit of information in terms of the timeline: 

• Reviewers are assigned two proposals to review (approximately 90 min. per review- 3 hours total)

• Reviews must be completed between April 22 and May 6

• Reviewers that have been assigned will be notified on April 22 via email

Not a member? Join or renew your membership and you too can support as a volunteer

MEMBER MILESTONES

CALL FOR ARTICLES

Beginning fall 2025, the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) will transition to a new, quarterly, digital-only publication called NCFR Nexus. This publication will serve NCFR’s transdisciplinary community of researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers. 

NCFR Nexus: Fall 2025 Call for Articles

Submission deadline: Aug. 1

The fall 2025 issue of NCFR Nexus will explore the impact of privilege. Family life experiences are influenced by one’s social address, which includes intersectional characteristics of one’s identity (e.g., race, gender, religion, sexuality, class, ability). Social address is associated with social advantages or disadvantages that influence family life experiences leading to many potential questions: 

• What are the effects of privilege on the ability to maintain healthy relationships?

• Does recognition of privilege potentially lessen negative impacts?

• Can individual power and privilege be used to advocate for others?

• Can the power of privilege be utilized as a tool to advance social justice?

Research-focused articles on this theme have already been collected. The editor specifically invites authors of teaching and learning-focused articles and practice-focused articles that explore these questions. How do teachers in higher education classrooms explore these topics with their students? How do these topics come up for practitioners working with individuals and families in the field?

Prospective authors should submit their articles through the NCFR Nexus Article Submission Form by August 1, 2025. Before submission, please review the author guidelines. Contact the NCFR Nexus editor, Beth Magistad, Ph.D., CFLE, with questions, ideas, and intentions. 

READ MORE

NCFR Nexus: Winter 2026 Call for Articles

Submission deadline: Nov. 1

The winter 2026 issue of NCFR Nexus will explore later adulthood. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the median age of the United States population is increasing.  Growing numbers of older adults presents both opportunities and challenges.  Many older adults live healthy, independent lives while others require significant care, often by unpaid family members.

Examples of potential topics include the following and more:

• What does the research tell us about the well-being of later life adults? 

• How can communities support healthy aging?

• What kind of support do families need when they are caring for elders?

• How are colleges and universities preparing the next generation of family professionals to serve older adults and their families?

• How do Family Life Educators support older adults and multigenerational families in their practices?

NCFR Nexus seeks to bring together the voices of researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers, fostering a diverse knowledge exchange. The NCFR Nexus editor invites authors to submit applied research-focused, teaching and learning-focused and practice-focused articles that explore later adulthood.

Prospective authors should submit their articles through the NCFR Nexus Article Submission Form by November 1, 2025. Before submission, please review the author guidelines. Contact the NCFR Nexus editor, Beth Magistad, Ph.D., CFLE, with questions, ideas, and intentions. 

READ MORE

NCFR RESEARCH

NCFR Journals

New NCFR Research

Published between March 23—29

Every week, we seek to share some of the latest research from all three of NCFR's scholarly journals advancing Family Science — Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR).

Check out these early-view articles some of which were written by NCFR members, published across NCFR journals (the first two are from FR and the remaining are from JMF). Some of the articles this week follow a similar theme:

• A qualitative exploration of parents and their children's uses and gratifications of ChatGPT (open access) — Shirley Zhang, doctoral student, B.S., Jennica Li, doctoral candidate, B.S., Bengisu Cagiltay, doctoral candidate, M.S., NCFR member Heather Kirkorian, Ph.D., Bilge Mutlu, Ph.D., Kassem Fawaz, Ph.D.
  
  

• Exploring the efficacy of ChatGPT in understanding and identifying intimate partner violence —  NCFR member Ying Zhang, Ph.D., Jun Fang, Ph.D., Xiaochen Luo, Ph.D., Danielle Lindsay, master's student, B.S., Nabiha Madre, B.S., Jean Paredes, B.S., Alan Penna, Emma Melley, B.S., Tatum Garcia, B.S.
  
  

• Parental burnout and mental health across COVID-19 parenting circumstances: A person-centered approach (open access) — NCFR member Margaret L. Kerr, Ph.D., Inés Botto, doctoral candidate, M.S., Erika Gonzalez, M.S.W., doctoral student, Sydney Aronson, doctoral candidate, M.Ed.
  
  

• Maternal sleep, coparenting quality, and parenting across the first 2 years postpartum (open access) — Liu Bai, Ph.D., Brian Crosby, Ph.D., NCFR member Douglas M. Teti, Ph.D.

• Preschools, family social capital, and child development in Cambodia — NCFR member Sothy Eng, Ph.D., Kelly Grace

• What is your type? Latent classes of newly married couples' gender ideologies — Ashley Larsen Gibby, Ph.D., Jane Lankes Smith, Ph.D., NCFR member Jeremy B. Yorgason, Ph.D., Aubrey Bardsley, NCFR member Erin Kramer Holmes, Ph.D., NCFR member Spencer L. James, Ph.D.

VIEW MORE NEW EARLY-VIEW ARTICLES

NCFR member journal subscribers can access articles by logging into their NCFR account. You can get immediate notifications of new articles submitted to NCFR's journals by signing up for email alerts. Seize the opportunity— get your manuscript published in an NCFR journal! Check out these tips & strategies beforehand.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sign Up to Attend: NCFR Asian/Asian American Families Focus Group Webinar

Job Market Preparation for Academic Positions: Strategies and Experience

Fri., April 11 / 1 – 2 p.m. CT

Presenters: Sara Garner, Ed.D., Patty Kuo, Ph.D., Erin Lavender-Stott, Ph.D., Karen Quek, Ph.D., MFT, Karin Rourke, M.S., CCLS, and Dr. Tomoko Wakabayshi, Ed.D.

*FREE for all / Space is limited

Searching for an academic-related position can be an exciting process because it means moving toward a new stage in your academic development. Yet, the preparation process can also be frustrating if you lack strategies or confidence in the effectiveness of your approaches. In this 1-hour webinar, the Asian/Asian American Families Focus Group invites a panel of scholars who have fresh experiences in applying or recruiting for academic positions at diverse institutions. Each panelist has expertise in the field of human development and Family Science (HDFS) or related fields. The webinar will be conducted as a panel discussion, focusing on: 1) preparing job application materials, 2) strategies for job interviews, 3) contract negotiation and long-term career planning and advice from personal experiences. 

*The focus group welcomes everyone to join on April 11, 2025. However, due to limited capacity, priority for live attendance will be given to current NCFR members on a first-come, first-served basis. A recording of the session will be shared with all registrants. Learn more about this event

Registration is required for sharing the links and assuring the efficacy of the panel. Please RSVP by April 4, 2025!

SUBMIT YOUR RSVP

CFLE CONVERSATIONS

CFLE Conversations

Cultural Agility in Family Life Education

Wed., May 7 / Noon – 1 p.m. CT

Facilitator: Marcy Peake, M.A., LPC, NCC, CFLE

FREE for CFLEs / Renew your CFLE credential

Are you curious about effective strategies CFLEs utilize to enhance Culturally Agile collaboration and communication in Family Life Education? Join CFLEs of various personal and social identities to discuss how to authentically engage and share space with others.

For 30 years, Marcy L. Peake, M.A., LPC, NCC, CFLE, has authored curricula, and created course content on race, gender, culture, and youth development, and served pre-K–12 youth and families. She is the founder of The Center for Cultural Agility, a licensed professional and national certified counselor, Certified Family Life Educator, and Great Start to Quality trainer. Ms. Peake is a national consultant and speaker on diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, youth development, and community engagement. She has taught graduate and undergraduate students and served as the Director of Diversity and Community Outreach Initiatives at Western Michigan University. Ms. Peake has experience on school boards and committees and approaches her work from her multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural identities, research, service, and scholarship.

Don't miss your chance to network with Ms. Peake and other CFLEs committed to advancing cultural agility in their work and communities.

RESERVE YOUR SEAT

IN OTHER NEWS

NCFR Member News

Podcasting with Dr. Aceves

NCFR member Lorena Aceves, Ph.D., has a podcast titled "Vida De PhD." Recently, NCFR member Ruben P. Viramontez Anguiano, Ph.D., was a guest on the podcast. In this episode, Dr. Anguiano shares his story—the importance of community in his work, how being rooted in the community has driven his professional journey, and more. Dr. Anguiano is founding program chair of human development and family relations at the University of Colorado Denver, and founding president of the Rocky Mountain Council on Family Relations.

LISTEN IN

NCFR Member News / NCFR Journals

JFTR Special Issue Published March 2025

Theorizing Academia: Critical and Futuristic Perspectives

A special issue is available from NCFR's Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR), themed "Theorizing Academia: Critical and Futuristic Perspectives" and guest-edited by NCFR Fellows Ramona Faith Oswald, Ph.D., and Anisa M. Zvonkovic, Ph.D. (pictured left to right)

The issue "explores the positionality of feminist administrators within Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) and their efforts to enhance the discipline's visibility, value, and impact," according to the guest editors' introduction. Collectively, Drs. Oswald and Zvonkovic write, the papers "examine the status and boundaries of HDFS within higher education" and "push back against neoliberalism by arguing that human well-being should be the bottom line for HDFS (and Human Sciences) programs."

NCFR would like to congratulate Dr. Oswald and Dr. Zvonkovic on this important work.

READ THE ISSUE

NCFR member journal subscribers can access articles by logging into their NCFR account.

Wanted: Job Postings to NCFR Jobs Center

Announce your organization's jobs with NCFR

NCFR is uniquely positioned to connect your organization or department with the best prospective employees in Family Science! By posting to the NCFR Jobs Center, you will reach qualified candidates with the family knowledge and skills you are seeking.

The NCFR Jobs Center is the place to showcase your interdisciplinary job openings that focus on working with families or serving families.

National Parenting Education Day

Fri., April 4

This Friday, April 4 marks National Parenting Education Day, a special time to recognize the impactful work of parent educators—these credentialed professionals support their communities, empower parents and guardians, foster healthy environments and relationships among families, and so much more! Kudos to all of the parent educators who are amazing, caring, selfless individuals.

Learn more about the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential

And remember, the winter 2023 issue of Family Focus, in which the theme is Parenting Education, is open to the public. Check it out today!

Video of the Week

Why modern parenting is turning to Bluey

In this TEDx, Sarina Petersen, who studies social psychology, explains how and why "Bluey" is loved by children and parents/guardians alike. If you haven't seen "Bluey," check your local networks 😉

WATCH VIDEO

Do you have a video of a local news story from your area, or something notable? Email a link to Kristal Johnson and perhaps we will feature it in Zippy News!

NCFR JOBS CENTER

Employment Opportunities

Employers: Get your job opening included in Zippy News by posting it in
NCFR's online Jobs Center! Get started here.

Assistant Professor in Family Sciences
Stephen F. Austin State University

Stephen F. Austin State University announces a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track faculty position. The successful candidate will 24 teaching load credits for both fall and spring semesters, as well as serve as the director for the Center for Economic Education. The incumbent will be expected to engage in service and research. Responsibilities will also include participating in promotion review of lower-ranked faculty members within the department, and when tenured, will participate in the review of candidates for tenure. The successful candidate to this position may also conduct supplemental instructional activities such as independent studies, internships, advising, and thesis/dissertation supervision.

Location: Nacogdoches, Texas
Required Education: Terminal degree in the field in which the individual will be teaching is required. ABD candidates may be considered if Ph.D. is earned prior to start date
Application Deadline: Open until filled

SEE FULL DETAILS & APPLY

Clinical Assistant Professor/Assistant Director
University of Georgia

The College of Family and Consumer Sciences is seeking applications for a non-tenure track, fiscal year position for a 60% administration, 30% teaching, 5% research, and 5% service appointment as a clinical assistant professor and assistant director to the Love and Money Center (LMC). The successful candidate must have strong administrative, organizational, communication, and supervisory skills in order to effectively support LMC's mission and operations, as well as further develop its regional, national, and international reputation. Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, including but not limited to the LMC’s undergraduate internship and practicum courses for the Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) master’s and doctoral programs.

Location: Athens, Georgia
Required Education: Earned doctorate degree in human development and Family Science or closely related field, earned master’s or doctorate in couple/marriage and family therapy
Application Deadline: Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Full consideration will be given to applications received by April 18, 2025.

SEE FULL DETAILS & APPLY

Postdoctoral Fellow in Aging and Family Relations
University of Missouri–Center for Family Policy and Research

The Department of Human Development and Family Science seeks applicants for a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Family Policy and Research (CFPR), whose research focuses on aging and family relationships. Successful applicants will engage in research that is theoretically and empirically driven, innovative, methodologically rigorous, and has implications for improving the lives of aging adults and their families. The candidate will contribute to a team science infrastructure to build multidisciplinary collaborations working with faculty with active research funding in the CFPR. They will assist faculty with seeking and writing federal grants, building on a strong state contract infrastructure, as well as seeking training grants and other larger projects.

Location: Columbia, Missouri
Required Education: Doctorate in human development and Family Science or a related field by start date
Application Deadline: Review of applications will continue until the position is filled

SEE FULL DETAILS & APPLY

SEE PREVIOUS JOB POSTINGS

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Zippy News is the weekly e-newsletter of the National Council on Family Relations.
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