Dr. Carolyn Cutrona
Iowa State University

Carolyn Cutrona is a Professor and Director of the Institute for Social and Behavioral Research at Iowa State University. Dr. Cutrona, along with Daniel Russell, is conducting a large-scale longitudinal study of vulnerability and resilience among economically stressed parents who are striving to raise their children in rural settings. The mental health of parents is critically important because distressed parents and those suffering from psychiatric disorders show significant impairment in parenting functions which, in turn, renders their children vulnerable to disorder. Participants in the study are geographically diverse and will be drawn from communities that show a high level of economic disadvantage. The study will investigate the following: (1) effects of community characteristics on interpersonal relationships, personal outlook, chronic and acute stressors, and symptoms and syndromes of psychiatric disorder; (2) contribution of personality and problem-solving skills to success with which parents deal with these stressors; and (3) contribution of relationships with intimate partner and members of the social network to success with which parents deal with these stressors.

(middle to right)
Dr. Rick Gibbons and Dr. Meg Gerrard
Iowa State University
Dr. Tom Wills
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Rick Gibbons' research interests are - Health and clinical applications of social psychology; social comparison; health-risk behaviors.

Meg Gerrard's research interests are - Social psychological
perspectives on health behavior and risk-taking.

Tom Wills' research interests are - Health, Behavior and Nutrition

Dr. Jenae Neiderhiser
George Washington University

Jenae Neiderhiser has been involved in studies looking at twins, siblings, and adoptees in an effort to understand how children and their families influences each other. Dr. Neiderhiser is currently finishing a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health looking at young adults and their family relations as well as collecting DNA. She is just beginning a study of twin fathers and mothers and their families based in Sweden. Her work has been published in journals specializing developmental psychology and family relations. She came to George Washington University in 1994 and is now an Associate Professor in the Center for Family Research.

Dr. K. Daniel O'Leary
State University of New York

K. Daniel O'Leary is among the top 100 cited psychologists in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain. He has been recognized with numerous awards including the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Clinical Division (12, Section III) of the American Psychological Association, and is currently Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the State University of New Yo9rk at Stony Brook. Dr. O'Leary has published extensively in the inter-related ares of treatment of wife abuse, prevention of dating violence, depression, child behavior problems, and behavioral couples therapy.