Message from the Director

Steven R. H. Beach, Ph.D.

Welcome to the Center for Family Research at the University of Georgia!

We’re delighted that you’ve taken the time to learn about our work. The Center for Family Research (CFR) is dedicated to understanding and strengthening families across Georgia. Our studies include families living in small towns and rural communities where poverty and unemployment remain serious challenges, in the greater Athens area, and in Georgia’s rapidly growing urban areas.

Our research focuses on identifying the family-based strengths and sources of resilience that help children, adolescents, and parents thrive—even in the face of economic or social adversity. By partnering closely with communities and drawing on the resources of the University of Georgia, we seek innovative ways to study health, development, and well-being within real-world family contexts.

An equally important part of our mission is to translate what we learn into effective prevention programs. These programs are designed to help young people avoid behaviors that could derail positive development—such as early substance use or risky sexual activity—and to foster pathways toward healthy, successful lives. We take seriously the idea that “If you want to understand something, try to change it.” Our prevention trials not only evaluate the effectiveness of these programs but also deepen our understanding of the family and community processes that make them work.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about our faculty, staff, and research. You can find examples of our recent publications and prevention programs, and we hope you’ll get a sense of the enthusiasm, collaboration, and optimism that define the Center’s culture. You will also see the broad range of research areas we are currently contributing to, including maternal health and well-being, immunological development, successful aging, smoking and alcohol prevention, neuroscience, and mental health.

If your travels bring you to the Athens–Atlanta area, please stop by—we’d be happy to welcome you in person.