President: Kate Riera, PhD
Dr. Kate Riera (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Human Services in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Delaware. She completed her PhD in Family Science at the University of Maryland and her MSEd in Psychological Services from the University of Pennsylvania. She teaches a variety of undergraduate courses focused on Counseling, Mentoring, Interpersonal Relationships, and Families. Her research interests include marginalized families, adolescent health and well-being, and examining equitable and engaging teaching practices in family science. She also enjoys cooking, gardening, and her two Havanese dogs Coco and Javi.
Contact: kriera@udel.edu
Vice-President: Adam Clark, PhD
Dr. Adam Clark (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Family Studies and Human Development program at the University of Arizona, a position that allows him to focus 100% on teaching. He completed his Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science at Oregon State University in 2015 and his master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Brigham Young University in 2011. His teaching focuses on couple relationships, family dynamics, and basic counseling skills and concepts. Some of his interests include rock climbing, watching Star Wars with his kids, and playing board games.
Contact: adamclark@email.arizona.edu
Secretary: Ashlie Lester, PhD
Dr. Ashlie Lester (she/her) is an Associate Teaching Professor of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Missouri. She completed her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Missouri and her MS in Marriage and Family Therapy at Kansas State University. She teaches undergraduate courses on lifespan development and intimate relationships and graduate courses on family services administration and family resilience. She enjoys camping, hiking, and reading with her family.
Contact: lestera@missouri.edu
Treasurer: Heather R. Kennedy, PhD, LPC, CFLE
Dr. Heather Kennedy is an Associate Professor of Family Science at the University of Nebraska Kearney. She received her Ph.D. in Human Sciences with a specialization in Child, Youth, and Family Studies from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Heather has been a member of the Family Science Association since 2021. She has also contributed to scholarship in the Family Science Review and at the annual conference. She has taught a variety of undergraduate courses in Family Science programs (e.g., family resource management, diverse families, human sexuality) and graduate courses in a Mental Health Counseling program. Her recent research has focused on the well-being of same-sex couples and families, as well as the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Contact: kennedyh2@unk.edu
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Student/New Professional Rep: Ellie Wroten, PhD
Dr. Elizabeth (Ellie) Wroten (she/her) is a new assistant professor of family science in the Department of Social Sciences at McNeese State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Delaware. She teaches four courses in the Family Science program: Family Sexuality, Family Crises and Coping, Adolescents in the Family, and Family Life Education Methods and Practice. Dr. Wroten’s research interests include gerontology, thanatology, medical sociology, emerging adulthood, parenting, disabilities, and various topics pertaining to relationships and sex.
Contact: ewroten@mcneese.edu
Immediate Past President: Laura Evans, PhD
Dr. Laura Evans (she/her) is a Teaching Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State Brandywine. She completed her MS in Couple and Family Therapy and her PhD in Family Science at the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on therapy process (what makes therapy work), common factors in relational therapy, the scholarship of teaching and learning in HDFS, and gender and language. She teaches undergraduate courses on a variety of topics including research methods, family relationships, and interventions for challenges experienced by individuals and families.
Contact: lme20@psu.edu
Website Co-Manager: Catherine Dutton, PhD
Dr. Catherine Dutton (she/her) is a former high school teacher and currently an Assistant Professor in the Human Development, Family Studies & Counseling department at Texas Woman’s University. Her teaching focuses on housing, design, and teacher preparation courses for Family & Consumer Science students along with qualitative research methods, family crises, and adolescent development. Catherine’s research interests include understanding the interactions of quilters and their families, and the integration of technology in teaching family sciences.
Contact: cdutton@twu.edu
Website Co-Manager: Jennifer E. Greiving, MA, CFLE
Jenn Greiving (she/her) is a PhD student in the Education and Human Development program at University of Colorado Denver (UCD). Jenn was formerly a faculty member in the Human Development and Family Relations program at UCD. Her research focuses on student-parents in higher education. Jenn has been a member of the FSA since 2014. She enjoys baking/cooking, roller skating, and a well-timed GIF (bonus points if it’s from The Emperor’s New Groove). Jenn also serves as an Associate Editor of the Family Science Review.
Contact: jennifer.greiving@ucdenver.edu
Publication Chair/Family Science Review Editor: Karen Doneker Mancini
Dr. Karen Lee Doneker (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Studies and Community Development at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. Karen earned her Ph.D. from the University of Delaware in Human Development and Family Studies. Her areas of teaching focus on theory, policy and research design and writing. Dr. Doneker has extensive experience in disabilities studies and United States policies for individuals with disabilities. Her research has centered on caregiving across the lifespan and has included both policy and theoretical works. Education policy, pedagogy and the history of the field of family science are also areas of focus.
Contact: kdonekermancini@towson.edu
2026 Conference Co-Chair
Dr. Meeshay Williams-Wheeler (she/her) is a professor of Child Development and Family Studies in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. She received her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her scholarly research agenda centers on students’ experiential learning, curriculum development and teaching pedagogy within the field of family and consumer sciences. She teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses including adolescent development, parent/child relations and family life education.
2026 Conference Co-Chair: Teresa Brooks Taylor
Teresa Brooks Taylor (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling & Human Services at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Teresa is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with degrees in Sociology. She formerly directed the Service-Learning and America Reads programs at ETSU. She has taught in various disciplines, including Human Services, Sociology, Women’s Studies, Cross Disciplinary, and Service-Learning. Her primary courses are Family Development, Family Theories, Lifespan, and Human Services Administration. For many years, her teaching and work have focused on community-engaged learning. She has also worked in various capacities in Student Life and the nonprofit sector and is also an avid volunteer.
Contact: taylort@mail.etsu.edu
