Mission
The Work and Family Researchers Network’s mission is to facilitate virtual and face-to-face interaction among academic work and family researchers from a broad range of fields as well as engage the next generation of work and family scholars. The WFRN also welcomes the participation of policy makers and workplace practitioners as it seeks to promote knowledge and understanding of work and family issues among the community of global stakeholders.
History
Founded in 1997 under the direction of Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, the Sloan Work and Family Research Network served as the premier online destination for work and family scholarship. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the WFRN generated and disseminated a wealth of resources and significantly increased the visibility of work-family concerns, helping to put work-family on the map of workplace practice, policy, teaching, and research priorities.
In November 2010, Jerry A. Jacobs and Judi C. Casey received a final grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to support the creation of a new membership and virtual organization. To acknowledge the community-driven nature of our website and the importance of members to the success of the organization, the name changed from “Research” to “Researchers.” Jerry Jacobs served as the founding Executive Officer of the WFRN under its new membership-based organizational structure with Judi C. Casey as the Founding Director until 2014.
Today the WFRN locates and generates reliable information that is of value to researchers, teachers, human resource professionals, policy advocates, and caregivers. Its biennial meetings draws hundreds of participants and supports its membership with resources that promote the continued expansion of work-family scholarship.
Past and Current Presidents
Ellen Galinsky, M.A. (2023-2024)
Melissa Milkie, Ph.D. (2021-2022)
Susan Lambert, Ph.D. (2019-2020)
Kathleen Christensen, Ph.D. and Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Ph.D. (2017-2018)
Phyllis Moen, Ph.D. (2015-2016)
Ellen Ernst Kossek, Ph.D. (2013-2014)
Jerry Jacobs, Ph.D. (2011-2012)
Annual Reports
The Executive Officer is charged with providing an annual report to the Executive Board and preparing documentation to assist the President in presenting information to the membership. Below are reports from prior years.