James J. Ponzetti Jr. - Maureen Blankemeyer - Sean M. Horan - Heidi Lyons - Aya Shigeto
James J. Ponzetti, Jr., Ph.D., D.Min., C.F.L.E. is a member of the Emeritus College at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He completed his collegiate education at the University of San Francisco, Oregon State University, and the San Francisco Theological Seminary before serving as a professor at the University of New Mexico, Central Washington University and Western Illinois University. He also founded the Oregon Family Nurturing Center, Inc. before coming to Canada. As a Certified Family Life Educator (C.F.L.E., National Council on Family Relations). Dr. Ponzetti is a strong advocate for marriages, families, and intimate relationships. His research interests have focused on grandparent-grandchild relations, participatory theatre in sexuality education, premarital rituals, family virtues, recollection of courtship, and intentional communities (such as monasteries and communes). He is committed to the promotion of family life education in sundry venues. He serves on the editorial boards for Personal Relationships, Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, and Family Science Review.; Maureen Blankemeyer is an associate professor in the Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences Department at Kent State University. She received a B.S. in Psychology from Bowling Green State University, an M.S. in Family Relations and Child Development, and a Ph.D. in Human Environmental Sciences, both graduate degrees from Oklahoma State University. In 1996 she joined the faculty of Kent State University. I am a Certified Family Life Educator and currently teach the following courses: Interpersonal Relationships and Families, Family Intervention Across the Lifespan, Changing Roles of Men and Women, Family Life Education, and Work and Family. She has conducted research in Northern Ireland on children and parents' perceptions of peace and political violence. Her other research interests include bereavement and family life education. She is a member of the Ohio Council on Family Relations and the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), including the International, Education and Enrichment, and Family Science sections of NCFR.; Sean M. Horan is an associate professor of communication and department chair at Fairfield University. Dr. Horan received his BA and MA from Texas State University, and his PhD from West Virginia University. Prior to his most recent position as an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Texas State University in San Marcos, he taught as an assistant professor in the College of Communication at DePaul University in Chicago. Dr. Horan's research primarily examines deceptive affection - how and why people use affection deceptively through lies and/or withholding information - and his current research interests explore the fascinating communicative implications of workplace romance, a unique situation where work and life domains are blended. Dr. Horan is the author of a monthly series for Psychology Today titled "Adventures in Dating," described as a savvy guide to courtship and communication. His original research has been the subject of various national and international media stories and has been featured in the Times of India, Axapne (Greece), Africa News Post, Fox News, Quo (Spain and Mexico), and Men's Health, among others. Likewise, his expert commentary has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, CNN, The Washington Post, and the New York Daily News.; Heidi Lyons earned an M.A. in Sociology from the College of Arts & Science at Ohio University in 2005 and a Ph.D. in Family Sociology from Bowling Green State University in 2009. She started as an Assistant Professor at Oakland University the following year and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2016. Her research interests include sexual relationships over the life course and American fertility patterns. Lyons has published nine peer-reviewed journal articles and often presents her research at national conferences.; Dr. Aya Shigeto is an associate professor and developmental psychologist whose research interests include socioemotional development in infancy and early childhood, parenting, parent-child relationships, and cultural influences on these factors. In more recent years, Dr. Shigeto has been studying more specific populations including emerging adults (those aged between 18 and 25), teenage mothers attending high school, and Alaska Native grandparents rearing their grandchildren. In her research, she utilizes both quantitative methods (e.g., questionnaires) and qualitative methods (e.g., interviews).
