Purdue News

May 19, 2000 New institute at Purdue will assist military families WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University is the new home of the Military Family Research Institute, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Defense to gather research data on the special needs of military families. Principal investigators for the institute will be Shelley MacDermid, associate professor of child development and family studies and the director of Purdue's Center for Families; Howard Weiss, associate professor of psychological sciences; and Stephen Green, professor of management. "Our primary responsibility is to study the effects of quality-of-life factors on job satisfaction, performance and retention of military personnel," MacDermid explained. "The Department of Defense is the largest employer in the country, so it follows that there's a great deal to be gained by understanding and responding to the special needs of military families." According to Weiss, "The Military Family Research Institute provides an extraordinary opportunity to study the relationships between work and family life and at the same time provide a service to the Department of Defense and the public." In addition to conducting research, Purdue faculty will be responsible for developing and implementing educational materials such as symposia, newsletters and Web sites to inform the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) and selected other agencies of their findings. The DASD has direct responsibility for military community and family policy. The coordination of the agreement was accomplished by the Defense Supply Service — Washington. The establishment of the institute will bring $7.6 million in research funding to the university over the next four years. CONTACTS: MacDermid, (765) 494-6026, shelley@purdue.edu; Weiss, (765) 494-6227, weissh@purdue.edu; Green, (765) 494-6852, sgreen1@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page