Francisco A. Villarruel (Ph.D., 1990, University of Wisconsin, Madison) is an Associate Professor of Family & Child Ecology at Michigan State University and a Research Associate with the Institute for Children, Youth, and Families, a university-wide research and outreach unit promoting positive development of children, youth, and families in communities through the application of the scholarly resources of Michigan State. He is affiliated with the Julian Samora Research Institute, which generates applies knowledge to serve the needs of Latino communities in the Midwest. Since joining Michigan State in 1992, Dr. Villarruel has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in both the Community… Services and Child Development programs. His research focus is on developmental contextualism, Latino youth and families, and positive youth development.
Daniel F. Perkins (Ph.D., 1995, Michigan State University) is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist within the Agricultural and Extension Education Program of the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to coming to Penn State in 2000, he worked in the Family and Child Ecology Department at Michigan State and the Family, Youth, and Community Sciences Program of the University of Florida. His research area is family and youth resiliency and policy, with a focus on strengthening the capacity of families, youth, and communities to be partners in building strong families, fostering positive youth development, and creating caring, safe, and productive communities.