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Lorene Burkhart Award for Excellence in Research about Families

The Center for Families fosters a commitment to strengthening the capacity of families to provide a nurturing environment for their members. A reflection of this commitment is our creation of this award to recognize outstanding research about families being conducted by Purdue faculty.

All nominated articles will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers from the Center for Families Review Committee. The award recipient will receive $500.

Interested in Nominating an article?

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 award!
Submit nominations to the 2025 Committee Chair, Melissa Franks: mfranks@purdue.edu

Nominations must include:

  • Cover letter indicating support for a given article as outstanding family research.
  • Electronic copy of the nominated article.
  • Contact information for the nominator and the lead author for the article.

Questions? Contact the Center for Families at cff@purdue.edu.

Eligibility requirements

  • Self-nominations are accepted
  • Researchers who have not received this award within the past three years are eligible
  • Article will represent outstanding family research
  • Lead author must be faculty member at Purdue University
  • Articles must be published work during the previous calendar year (may be published in print or in advance online)
  • Articles must have been published in a peer-reviewed journal
  • Articles must be empirical (both qualitative and quantitative methods are welcome, but narrative literature reviews are not eligible)
  • Published work may be from any discipline, department, or college
  • 2024 – Palliative Care Needs and Preferences of Older Adults with Advanced or Serious Chronic Illnesses and Their Families in Rural Communities of Indiana
    • Nasreen Lalani, School of Nursing, College of Health and Human Sciences
    • Lalani, N., Hamash, K., & Wang, Y. (2024). Palliative Care Needs and Preferences of Older Adults with Advanced or Serious Chronic Illnesses and Their Families in Rural Communities of Indiana, USA. The Journal of Rural Health, 40(2), 368-375. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12787
  • 2024 – Family Math Engagement in Rural Families in Rural Contexts
    • Sarah Eason, Human Development and Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences
    • Eason, S. H., Leech, K. A., Anderson, K. L., & Pedonti, S. (2023). Family Math Engagement with Preschoolers in Rural Contexts. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 89, 101600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2023.101600
  • 2023 – Qualitative Examination of Familial Racial-Ethnic Socialization Experiences Among Multiracial American Emerging Adults
    • Annabelle Atkin, Human Development and Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences
    • Atkin, A. L., Jackson, K. F., White, R. M. B., & Tran, A. G. T. T. (2022). A Qualitative Examination of Familial Racial-Ethnic Socialization Experiences Among Multiracial American Emerging Adults. Journal of Family Psychology, 36(2), 179–190. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000918
  • 2022 – Breast Cancer Survivors’ Satisfying Marriages Predict Better Psychological and Physical Health: A Longitudinal Comparison of Satisfied, Dissatisfied, and Unmarried Women
    • Rosie Shrout, Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Sciences
    • Shrout, M. R., Renna, M. E., Madison, A. A., Alfano, C. M., Povoski, S. P., Lipari, A. M., … & Kiecolt‐Glaser, J. K. (2021). Breast Cancer Survivors’ Satisfying Marriages Predict Better Psychological and Physical Health: A Longitudinal Comparison of Satisfied, Dissatisfied, and Unmarried Women. Psycho‐Oncology, 30(5), 699-707. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5615
  • 2021 – Family Support and Mental Health of Latinx Children in Migrant Farmworker Families
    • Zoe Taylor, Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Sciences
    • Taylor, Z. E., Ruiz, Y., Nair, N., & Mishra, A. A. (2020). Family Support and Mental Health of Latinx Children in Migrant Farmworker Families. Applied Developmental Science. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2020.1800466
  • 2020 – Parenting and prenatal risk as moderators of genetic influences on conduct problems during middle childhood
    • Kristine Marceau, Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Sciences
    • Marceau, K., Rolan, E., Leve, L. D., Ganiban, J. M., Reiss, D., Shaw, D. S., … & Neiderhiser, J. M. (2019). Parenting and prenatal risk as moderators of genetic influences on conduct problems during middle childhood. Developmental Psychology, 55(6), 1164. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000701
  • 2019 – He Would Never Let Me Just Give Up”: Communicatively Constructing Dyadic Resilience in the Experience of Breast Cancer
    • Maria Venetis, Brian Lamb School of Communication, College of Liberal Arts; Lead author Helen Lillie
    • Lillie, H. M., Venetis, M. K., & Chernichky-Karcher, S. M. (2018). “He Would Never Let Me Just Give Up”: Communicatively Constructing Dyadic Resilience in the Experience of Breast Cancer. Health Communication, 33(12), 1516-1524. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2017.1372049
  • 2018 – Do older parents’ relationships with their adult children affect cognitive limitations, and does this differ for mothers and fathers?
    • Patricia Thomas, Sociology, College of Liberal Arts
    • Thomas, P. A., & Umberson, D. (2017). Do Older Parents’ Relationships With Their Adult Children Affect Cognitive Limitations, and Does This Differ for Mothers and Fathers?. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbx009
  • 2017 – Post-Adoption Depression: Parental Classes of Depressive Symptoms Across Time
    • Karen Foli, Nursing, College of Health and Human Sciences
    • Foli, K. J., South, S. C., Lim, E., & Jarnecke, A. (2016). Post-Adoption Depression: Parental Classes of Depressive Symptoms Across Time. Journal of Affective Disorders, 200, 293- 302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.01.049
  • 2016 – Dilemmas Families Face in Talking With Returning U.S. Military Service Members About Seeking Professional Help for Mental Health Issues
    • Steven R. Wilson, Communication, College of Liberal Arts
    • Wilson, S. R., Gettings, P. E., Hall, E. D., & Pastor, R. G. (2015). Dilemmas Families Face in Talking with Returning US Military Service Members About Seeking Professional Help for Mental Health Issues. Health Communication, 30(8), 772-783. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2014.899659
  • 2015 – Low-Income Women’s Navigation of Childbearing Norms Throughout the Reproductive Life Course
    • Christie Sennott, Sociology, College of Liberal Arts
    • James-Hawkins, L., & Sennott, C. (2014). Low-Income Women’s Navigation of Childbearing Norms Throughout the Reproductive Life Course. Qualitative Health Research, 1049732314548690. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049732314548690
  • 2014 – Filling the Void: Bolstering Attachment Security in Committed Relationships
    • Ximena Arriaga, Psychological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts
    • Arriaga, X. B., Kumashiro, M., Finkel, E. J., VanderDrift, L. E., & Luchies, L. B. (2013). Filling the Void Bolstering Attachment Security in Committed Relationships. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 1948550613509287. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1948550613509287
  • 2013 – Parenting, Race, and Socioeconomic Status: Links to School Readiness​
    • Aryn Dotterer, Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Sciences
    • Dotterer, A. M., Iruka, I. U., & Pungello, E. (2012). Parenting, Race, and Socioeconomic Status: Links to School Readiness. Family Relations, 61(4), 657-670. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00716.x