Department of Applied Human Sciences

Anthony J. Ferraro

Anthony Ferraro

Associate Professor

Contact Information

312 Justin Hall
785-532-5510
aferraro@k-state.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science, Florida State University (2017)
  • Graduate Certificate in Measurement & Statistics, Florida State University (2017)
  • B.S. in Legal Studies, University of Central Florida (2012)

Area(s) of Specialization

  • Divorce & Stepfamilies
  • Fathering & Father Involvement
  • Stress, Coping, & Trauma
  • Family Structure
  • Coparenting
  • Identity Development
  • Military Families
  • Program Evaluation
  • Measurement Development & Assessment

Courses Taught

  • HDFS 375 Research Methods in HDFS
  • HDFS 550 Applications of Theories in HDFS
  • HDFS 570 Program Development & Implementation
  • HDFS 770 Development and Implementation of Prevention Science Programs
  • HDFS 893 Evaluation of Prevention Science Programs
  • HDFS 906 Statistical Methods in HDFS II
  • FSHS 950 Theory Construction

Research, Scholarship, and Creative Endeavors

Dr. Ferraro's research program emphasizes family experiences and parenting, during periods of transition. He places an emphasis on translational research, trying to better understand what family supports and processes best aid families experiencing structural or developmental transitions. This work often takes the form of evaluation of parent and relationship education programs. He also does extensive work on father identity development across complex contexts, with work largely focused on better understanding how to get fathers involved in the lives of their children and keep them involved. Anthony currently serves as one of the directors for the Divorce Education Assessment Collaborative (https://www.hhs.k-state.edu/ahs/about/outreach/deac/), is the Chair of the Family Policy section of the National Council on Family Relations, and leads the Families in Transition research lab at Kansas State. He is on the editorial board for Family Court Review and is the Co-Editor-In-Chief for the Journal of Divorce & Remarriage. Anthony’s work in mentoring students has been recognized by the Advancing Family Science section of the National Council on Family Relations with their Emerging Mentor/Teacher Award for 2020, by the College of Health and Human Sciences at Kansas State University with the Hulsing Mentoring Award for 2022, and by the Board on Human Sciences of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities with the Undergraduate Research Mentor Award for 2022. Recent publications include:

Ferraro, A. J., & Lucier-Greer, M. (2022). The case for multidimensional co-parenting behaviors as sources of chronic stress: understanding pathways to mental health symptomology among divorced and separating adults. Journal of Family Nursing, 28(4), 353-367. https://doi.org/10.1177/10748407221124235

Petren, R. E., & Ferraro, A. J. (2022). Fathering in diverse family structures: Separation, divorce, and stepfamilies. In S. Molloy, P. Azzam, & A. Isacco (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of fatherhood (pp. 151-170). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14498-1_9

Reed-Fitzke, K., Ferraro, A. J., Duncan, J. M., Wojciak, A. S., *Hamilton, A., & *Pippert, H. D. (2022). Resilience in Army STARRS: Evaluating psychometrics of a multi-dimensional resilience measure. Military Psychology. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2022.2131187

Markham, M. S., Ferraro, A. J., Russell, L. T., Beckmeyer, J. J., Zimmerman, M. L., Guyette, E. J., & Pippert, H. D. (2021). Lessons from the field: Developing a multi-site divorce education evaluation tool. Family Relations, 70(5), 1657-1663. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12575

Russell, L. T., Ferraro, A. J., Beckmeyer, J. J., Markham, M. S., Wilkins-Clark, R., & Zimmermann, M. L. (2021). Communication technology use in post-divorce coparenting relationships: A typology and associations with post-divorce adjustment. Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, 38(12), 3752-3776. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075211043837

Ferraro, A. J., Oehme, K., Waldick, I. E., & Stern, N. (2020). Improving court-mandated divorce education by recognizing the effects of parents’ childhood trauma. PACE Law Review, 40(1), 273-308. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/plr/vol40/iss1/6/

Personal Information

Anthony and his wife Melissa are proud parents of three boys: Phillip, Merritt, and Ford. They love calling Manhattan home and whether watching the hyenas at Sunset Zoo, taking in the latest exhibit at Flint Hills Discovery Center, hiking Konza Prairie, or consuming an unsightly amount of donuts at Varsity Donuts they always find something fun and exciting to do in the Little Apple

Vita (pdf)