In mid-November, as part of the go-forward plan for the human dynamics programs in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Syracuse University announced that Falk’s departments of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) would merge and become one department within Syracuse’s College of Arts and Sciences starting July 1, 2025.
Within one week, the synergies between the two departments became apparent at the prestigious National Conference of Family Relations (NCFR) from Nov. 20-23 in Bellevue, Washington.
At the NCFR, MFT Assistant Professor Eman Tadros was honored with both the Olson Grant and Advancing Family Science Emerging Mentor/Teacher Award. In addition, several HDFS faculty and doctoral students presented their research, including Marjorie Cantor Professor of Aging Studies Merril Silverstein, who was a keynote speaker.
“Dr. Tadros’ involvement with NCFR highlights the interconnection between the HDFS and MFT departments,” says MFT chair and Professor of Practice Dyane Watson. “NCFR and many other professional organizations support both departments’ focus on expanding scholarship on human systems and development, and relational wellbeing.
“Our mutual emphasis on families and systems sets the stage for increased scholarship and service for individuals and systems in our community and around the world,” Watson adds.
The Olson Grant, which is available to NCFR members who contribute to the discipline of family science by bridging research, theory, and practice, was previously awarded to Silverstein and former HDFS doctoral student Woosang Hwang, who is now an assistant professor at Texas Tech University.
“Dr. Hwang and Dr. Silverstein gave a keynote talk on their work with the award focusing on the impact of digital communication in maintaining intergenerational relationships during the pandemic,” says HDFS chair and Associate Professor Matthew Mulvaney. “Dr. Tadros will similarly present her work as a keynote next year. Through their important work, these faculty represent the shared values of research in the two departments, which will soon join and continue to do high-level research on family processes that has significant implications for the wellbeing of families.”
Watson says Tadros will use the Olson Grant to fund her scholarship on racially and ethnically minoritized individuals’ online dating behaviors. The Emerging Mentor/Teacher Award highlights “Dr. Tadros’ exemplary mentorship, particularly in providing research opportunities for underrepresented students,” Watson says.
In addition to the NCFR, HDFS faculty and doctoral students recently presented at another prominent national conference: the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Annual Scientific Meeting Nov. 13-16 in Seattle, Washington. At both the NCFR and GSA events, HDFS faculty and doctoral students presented on a wide array of topics related to important questions of well-being for families and older adults (the complete list of HDFS presenters is below).
“The presentations at the GSA included original research on dementia care, mortality patterns, mental health, and intergenerational relationships in older adults,” Mulvaney says. “Much of the research was focused on examining key processes of aging and relationships across diverse contexts, including Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Chinese communities. As a whole, the presentations represented cutting-edge research that adds to the scientific literature that highlight the experiences of diverse older adults.”
At the NCFR, Mulvaney says, the presentations focused on key features of family relationships and developmental processes, including biased-based harassment of adolescents, child maltreatment, intergenerational relationships, and the impact of poverty on children’s self-regulation.
“All of the research utilized high-level and cutting-edge methodologies to inform our understanding of these critical family processes,” Mulvaney says.
Here’s a list of the HDFS presenters at the GSA and NCFR conferences and the research they shared:
Gerontological Society of America 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting
Faculty
Merril Silverstein, Marjorie Cantor Professor of Aging Studies: Cultural Resources and Psychological Well-Being Influences on Cognitive Function in Mexican American Immigrants; and Do Stepchildren Provide Dementia Care to Aging Biological Parents Commensurate with Their Level of Need?
Catherine García, assistant professor: Race, Neighborhood Dynamics, and Mortality Patterns in Older Puerto Ricans; Life Histories and Trajectories of Physiological Functioning Among Older Racialized Groups in the U.S. (researched and written with students through Syracuse University’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement; and Four Types of Financial Support Among “Sandwiched” Middle-Aged Adults: Life and Family Relationship Satisfaction (first-year doctoral student Hyeonji Cho was the lead on this paper).
Doctoral Students
Xiaoyu Fu: Aging Attitudes: The Effects of Intergenerational Relationships and Village Economic Context in Rural China (first author).
Ying Xu: Exploring the Impact of Childhood Adversities, Social Network, and Gender Moderation on Depression Among Older Adults.
Bo Jian: Dementia Care for Biological Parents in Step-Families: Symbolism.
Hyeonji Cho: Four Types of Financial Support Among “Sandwiched” Middle-Aged Adults: Life and Family Relationship Satisfaction.
National Council on Family Relations 2024 Annual Conference
Faculty
Merril Silverstein, Marjorie Cantor Professor of Aging Studies: Olson Grant Award Address – Stability and Change of Intergenerational Solidarity with Digital Communication During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea: Associations with Family Functioning (presented with Woosang Hwang); Prolonged Health Effects of Early Life Stresses and Psychological Processes; and The Enduring Impact of Intergenerational Solidarity in Mother-Child Dyads Over the Years.
Gabriel “Joey” Merrin, assistant professor: Co-Occurring Patterns of Bias-Based Harassment Among Adolescents: Differential Associations with Mental Health and Perceptions of School Safety and Support.
Doctoral Students
Bo Jian: Navigating Contradictions in Life Course, Gender Roles, and Intergenerational Dynamics in Acculturation of Chinese Immigrant Women; and Co-Occurring Patterns of Bias-Based Harassment Among Adolescents: Differential Associations with Mental Health and Perceptions of School Safety and Support.
Qingyang Liu: Continuity and Change in Material Hardship Domains and Their Long-Term Associations with Children’s Behavioral Self-Regulation: A Multidimensional Growth Mixture Model; The Co-Occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Interparental Violence in Early Childhood: Latent Classes and Risk Factors.