Kelly J. Welch, PhD, CFLE, has vast experience as a human development and family science professor, author, program developer, and practitioner. Dr. Welch's primary areas of research, writing, and practice include lifespan development, the formation and maintenance of interpersonal relationships, family processes across the lifespan, family crisis and change, and human sexuality across the life course. She has developed programming for individuals and families who are navigating medical crises, as well as programming for sexual and reproductive health, and spends her summers working with HIV+ mothers and their babies in the Caribbean. After twenty years at Kansas State University as an Associate Professor of Teaching in Human Development and Family Science, Dr. Welch recently transitioned to teaching Early Childhood Education courses in impoverished, diverse, at-risk public schools in Kansas. Through creative, innovative programming, she has established a sustainable education model where high school students earn Child Development Associate (CDA) certifications through hands-on experiences in early childhood education centers, giving high school graduates a solid footing to earn livable wages, breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Victor William Harris, PhD, CFLE, is Associate Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Florida in the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences. He has authored and co-authored over 300 books, publications, and creative works for youth and adults reaching readers in more than 100 countries. His research interests include close relationships with a focus on healthy communication, conflict resolution, couple and parenting education, and balancing work and family. Dr. Harris directs the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood SMART Couples Project, designed to help youth, singles, couples, parents, and co-parents better understand how to form and maintain strong, healthy, long-lasting relationships. To date, more than 7,500 youth and adults have successfully completed SMART Couples programming.
