Missouri State University’s Dr. Alicia Walker is the new co-chair of the Council on Contemporary Families (CCF).

Walker, who is a sociologist and associate professor of sociology, will serve with Dr. Arielle Kuperberg, associate professor of sociology at University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

This three-year role offers Walker the opportunity to influence both academic and public discourses on family dynamics, gender roles and social policy.

“As co-chair, I’ll organize events and board meetings, oversee committees and help set strategic priorities for CCF,” Walker said.

Walker, an expert in the social construction of sexuality, researches how people understand themselves as sexual beings and navigate these aspects in everyday life. The appointment to CCF co-chair will enable her to expand on that research by engaging with a network of leading scholars and policymakers across the United States.

“This role is an honor and opportunity to broaden the impact of family research,” Walker said. “Our goal is to make complex research on families accessible and impactful, particularly in ways that bridge academic insights with public needs.”

Benefits to MSU and broader impact

Walker’s appointment as co-chair will also elevate Missouri State’s presence in national conversations on family issues.

Through connections with other researchers, Walker plans to bring valuable experience back to her students and the broader MSU community.

“My election provides a link to the national dialogue on contemporary family challenges,” she said. “It positions MSU as a center for thought leadership in sociology, while providing our students with access to recent research and internship opportunities that will expand their perspectives and career possibilities.”

About CCF

CCF is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that promotes the understanding of academic research on American families to the public and the press.

Its members include sociologists, demographers, economists, family therapists, historians, political scientists, psychologists, social workers, communication scholars and other family social scientists and practitioners.

Walker has been a member of the CCF board since 2022 and editor-in-chief of the CCF blog since 2021. The blog presents research on topics like family diversity and gender to the public.

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