FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information:
Kimberley A. Brooke
520-626-7952
kbrooke@email.arizona.edu
STEPHEN T. RUSSELL, DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA'S FRANCES MCCLELLAND
INSTITUTE, NAMED PRESIDENT OF SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE
TUCSON, Ariz. –– March 12, 2012 –– Stephen T. Russell, Ph.D., director of the University of Arizona’s
Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth, and Families, which is a catalyst for research addressing
critical social, emotional and physical issues facing families today, was named president of the Society for
Research on Adolescence (SRA) organization at the 2012 biennial SRA Conference in Vancouver, Canada
last week. Dr. Russell plans to use his leadership position to attract a more diverse global membership
across fields, to share research more broadly with the public, and to exert greater influence on public
policies dealing with the needs of contemporary youths.
SRA focuses on the theoretical, empirical and policy-research issues related to adolescence, promotes the
dissemination of research on adolescents, and serves as a network and forum for its members. It started at
the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1986, and in 1991, launched the Journal of Research on
Adolescence, for which Russell serves as associate editor. SRA is also about to launch an interactive Web
site for researchers, professionals, students, and the public, which will include blogs focused on current
topics encompassing public policy, research and teaching.
Russell says he will continue the current leadership's focus on generating public awareness of the
contributions of the SRA and its members -- especially in regard to the urgent needs of youths. "I'm
personally interested in the links between research, policy and programs for young people, and I am
impatient with the slow pace and occasional disconnect between research and relevant policies and
programs," Russell said. "I'd like to use my time as president to emphasize the pressing needs of
contemporary young people."
The Frances McClelland Institute focuses on collaborative, multidisciplinary research and community
outreach involving four initiatives: Fathers, Parenting, and Families; Adolescent Health and Development,
Early Childhood: Typical & Atypical Development; and an interdisciplinary group of faculty and students at
the University of Arizona engaged in the scientific study of Health, Emotion, and Relationships.
Russell, who was conference co-chair for the 2010 SRA conference in Philadelphia, says the geographical
and professional diversity of participants was a strong indicator that the time is right for the SRA not only to
strengthen communications among its members, but also to share information about their work with the
public and policy makers.
The Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth and Families serves as a catalyst for crossdisciplinary research on children, youth, and families at the University of Arizona. Its research initiatives
address questions important to the development and well-being of contemporary children, youth, and
families, with the goal of improving basic understanding to enhance the lives of the people of Arizona and
the world. For more information, visit http://mcclellandinstitute.arizona.edu/
The John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, which is part of the UA College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has two divisions: Family Studies & Human Development and Retailing &
Consumer Sciences. Both offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees and are ranked among the
best in the nation. Together, they host four multidisciplinary research, outreach, and education units: the
Cooperative Extension, the Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing and Consumer Sciences, the Take
Charge America Institute for Consumer Finance Education and Research, and the Frances McClelland
Institute for Children, Youth, and Families. For more information, visit http://ag.arizona.edu/fcs/home. ###