Dr. Francesca Adler-Baeder
Principal Investigator/Project Director of AHMREI
Dr. Francesca Adler-Baeder is the AU Alumni Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Auburn University in Alabama and directs the long-running, statewide Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Initiative, a university-community partnership. Her scholarly work is translational in nature and centers on the understanding and promotion of optimal relationship health, interpersonal competence, and family and individual resilience, with special emphasis on the experiences of racially and economically diverse couples, more vulnerable adults and youth, and structurally complex families. Dr. Adler-Baeder has worked for over two decades in the active bridging of research and practice in Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) through program design, curriculum and resource development, capacity-building with community partners, participatory research, and rigorous efficacy trials. She has guided hundreds of students in basic and applied research methods, facilitated new professionals’ launch of HMRE initiatives in other states, and published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and technical reports, mostly on the practice and results of relationship education for diverse populations. Her body of work in relationship education science is recognized nationally and internationally and recent awards include National Council on Family Relations Fellow, Auburn University’s Distinguished Diversity Researcher, and the Association for Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Outstanding Faculty Engagement Award.
Dr. Julianne McGill
Co-Principal Investigator/Project Manager of AHMREI
Julianne McGill, Ph.D. is an Assistant Clinical Professor in Human Development and Family Science at Auburn University and the Co-Principal Investigator and Project Manager for both the Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (AHMRE) Project and Alabama Youth Relationship Education (AYRE Project). She is a Certified Family Life Educator and is the co-author of the Couples Connecting Mindfully relationship education curriculum. She has been with the project since 2009, first as an undergraduate research assistant, then as a graduate research assistant, and now as full-time staff. She provides day-to-day project management and directs the logistics necessary to implement all programmatic components, as well as performance measurement and continuous quality improvement procedures. Dr. McGill utilizes a prevention science approach to study community-based education focused on supporting healthy relationships through mindfulness and skill-based programs. She lives in Opelika, Alabama with her husband Tyler, their daughters Amelia and Tennant Lane, and their wiener dog Wylee.
Dr. Mallory Lucier-Greer
Co-Investigator of AHMRE
Mallory Lucier-Greer, Ph.D., is Co-Investigator for the Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Project and Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Auburn University. She has a clinical background as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Family Life Educator, and she regularly serves as one of the facilitators of the ELEVATE curriculum to couples in Lee County, Alabama. Her research focuses on family stress and identifying leverage points that promote healthy family coping and, ultimately, resilience. Dr. Lucier-Greer is an award-winning educator with expertise in facilitating engagement in the classroom and in research; she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on adaptive family processes and applied research methods. She lives in Auburn, Alabama with her husband and their three kids.
Staff
Leah Burke
Data Manager of AHMRE
Leah Burke, M.S., serves as the Data Manager for the Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Project. She graduated from Auburn University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s in Human Development and Family Studies and in 2015 with a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. She enjoys working with couples and families to build both personal and relationship skills. Previously, she worked with AHMREI as both an undergraduate practicum student and a graduate research assistant.
Rachel Odomes
Partnership Coordinator of AHMRE
Rachel Odomes, M.Ed., is the Partnership Coordinator for the Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Project. She has been associated with the AHMRE project for over 15 years. She enjoys providing support to the partners of the project, making connections within the community, and spending time with her family.
Dejah Perrier
Data Manager & Partnership Coordinator of AYRE
Dejah Perrier, B.S., serves in a hybrid role as the Data Manager and Partnership Coordinator for the Alabama Youth Relationship Education (AYRE) Project. She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Auburn University in 2018. She enjoys providing support and technical assistance to the implementation partner sites. She lives in Smiths Station, Alabama with her husband and their two fur babies, Jaxx and Piper.
Tonya Rogers
Outreach Coordinator of AHMRE & AYRE
Tonya Rogers, M.S., FDC is the Outreach Coordinator for the Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Initiative and has worked with the project since 2007. She earned her Master’s Degree from Troy University and her Family Development Credential from the University of Alabama. Tonya registers participants, facilitates classes, and provides case management as needed through the adult project. She enjoys working with both youth and adult participants as well as creating new community partnerships through the youth project. Tonya, her husband, and their son reside in Tallassee.
Kaitlynn Slaughter
Program Coordinator of AYRE
Kaitlynn Slaughter, B.S. is the Program Coordinator for the Alabama Youth Relationship Education Project. She graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and Family Sciences with a Minor in Psychological Sciences in May of 2022. Kaitlynn began working with AHMREI as an undergraduate intern and has been with the project since! Kaitlynn helps the AYRE team through connecting and maintaining relationships with partnered high schools while also helping to maintain the Near Peer and University Consortium model. She currently lives in Auburn, Alabama with her sweet pup Sadie Mae.
Teresa Wagoner
Financial Manager of AHMRE & AYRE
Teresa Wagoner is the Financial Manager for the Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Initiative. She obtained a Bachelor Degree from Auburn University in 2003. She has worked with the project since 2007. She currently lives in Auburn, Alabama with her daughter and their dog Bobo.
Graduate Research Assistants
Melike Coskun
Graduate Research Assistant
Melike Coskun is a Graduate Research Assistant for the Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Initiative and a Ph.D. student in Human Development and Family Science program at Auburn University. She works to support the process of implementation of the AHMREI. She had a master’s degree in clinical psychology and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Turkey. Her research interests are parenting, co-parenting, and children’s developmental outcomes in family settings.
Raequon Pinkney
Graduate Research Assistant
Raequon Pinkney, M.S., is a Graduate Research Assistant for the Alabama Youth Relationship Education Project and a Doctoral student at Auburn University in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. He obtained his Bachelor’s in Family, Youth and Community Sciences from the University of Florida in 2020 with a minor in Sociology. He also obtained his Master’s from The University of Florida in Family, Youth and Community Sciences in 2022. His research interests include Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), emotional development, emerging adulthood, and interpersonal relationships.
Je’Kylynn Steen
Graduate Research Assistant
Je’Kylynn Steen, MS, CHES, CFLE-P is a Graduate Research Assistant for the Alabama Youth Relationship Education Project. She is currently pursuing her PhD student in Human Development and Family Science. She is interested in the family environment’s role in adolescent health and wellbeing. Her current research centers on understanding the impact of minoritized youth’s experiences in relationship education programs and their perceptions of healthy romantic relationships on family formation. Guided by culturally responsive practice and youth participatory approaches, she seeks to engage and empower youth voice. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, Pure Barre, and catching movies or live shows.
Menglin Wei
Graduate Research Assistant
Menglin Wei, M.S. is a graduate research assistant for the Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Project; she is also a PhD student in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Auburn University. She received her bachelor’s degree in 2019 in Global Studies in Human Science, and her master’s degree in Human Development and Family Science in 2022 both from Auburn. She has been with the project for about 5 years, first as a service-learning undergraduate student, then as a graduate research assistant. Her research focuses on couples’ health behaviors and health concordance in the context of couple relationship education. She is a facilitator for the curriculum ELEVATE and she enjoys teaching and being connected with couples in the community. She’s also been developing her skills in program evaluation, with a specific focus on equity in program implementation and program evaluation. She is expanding her research in working closely with LGBTQIA+ populations and queer couples to better understand their experiences in community-based couple relationship education programs. She currently lives in Auburn, Alabama with her partner.
Paityn Whittington
Graduate Research Assistant
Paityn Whittington, B.S., is a graduate research assistant for the Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education project. She graduated from Auburn University in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Science and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is also a Staff Sergeant within the Air National Guard, serving in the military since 2018. She is passionate about interpersonal relationships and promoting effective communication for better overall life satisfaction.