Jay Mancini
Jay Mancini, Professor Emeritus
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Department of Human Development and Family Science
Blacksburg, VA 24061
mancini@vt.edu
Jay A. Mancini is professor emeritus of human development at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and adjunct professor of human development and family science at the University of Georgia.
From 1977 to 2009 he was part of the human development faculty at Virginia Tech, and was also the Senior Research Fellow at Virginia Tech’s Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment. From 2009 to 2016 he was the A.M. Haltiwanger Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Family Science at The University of Georgia. In 2013 he was the Ambiguous Loss Visiting Scholar at University of Minnesota. He received his doctoral degree from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and his Master of Science degree at Kansas State University. His recent book, with Pauline Boss and Chalandra Bryant, is Family Stress Management: A Contextual Approach (2017; Sage Publishers).
Mancini’s work has focused on lifespan human development, community systems, building community capacity, military family support systems, time-use and families, and psychological well-being. Throughout his career the focus has been on resilience and vulnerabilities of individuals, families, and communities, and their multiple intersections. His program development and evaluation research has been funded by Andrus Foundation, the National Institute on Aging (NIH), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Virginia Department of Mental Health, U.S. Department of the Air Force, U.S. Department of the Army, and U.S. Department of Defense (Military Community and Family Policy Directorate), totaling more than $22M. He has been a consultant with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (TN), America’s Promise Alliance (D.C.), Caliber Associates (Fairfax, VA), Family Research and Analysis (Greensboro, NC), Social Research Applications Corporation (D.C.), and the Human Services Research and Design Laboratory (UNC-Chapel Hill). He has also been a consulting Research Sociologist to the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Mancini has published his work in periodicals such as American Journal of Community Psychology, Journal of Marriage and the Family, Journal of Leisure Research, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, Educational and Psychological Measurement, Family Science Review, Human Relations, Journal of Community Health, The Prevention Researcher, Journal of Community Practice, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, and Family Relations, and has contributed chapters to numerous books, including Handbook of Marriage and the Family (3rd edition), Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion (1st and 2nd editions), Family Systems in Medicine, Close Relationship Loss: Theoretical Perspectives, and Family Strengths: Positive Models for Family Life. He is the editor of Aging Parents and Adult Children (D.C. Heath, 1989), and editor, with Karen A. Roberto, of Pathways of Human Development: Explorations of Change (Lexington, 2009). He has edited special issues of Family Relations (on changing families in America, in 1988, and on families and communities, in 2005), Journal of Family Issues (on family gerontology), and was Senior Editor of Families in Focus, a book series of the National Council on Family Relations. Most recent empirical publications are in Child and Family Social Work, Family Relations, Military Medicine, Journal of Family Issues, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, American Journal of Community Psychology, and American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Family Process, Military Psychology, and European Journal of Homelessness.
Mancini has received one university-level award (2007 Distinguished Alumni Service Award from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro) and three college-level awards recognizing his career contributions to the family science discipline (2002 Outstanding Alumnus Award, School of Human Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and 2008 Alumni Distinguished Research Award, College of Human Ecology, Kansas State University, as well as Kansas State’s Distinguished Career Award in 2021). He is a Fellow of the National Council on Family Relations, and a Fellow of the World Demographic Association. In 2014 he was presented the Spirit of Military Families Coin by Defense Canada, Military Family Services/Services Aux Des Militaires. In 2018 he received the Excellence in Research on Military and Veteran Families Award.
Mancini’s current theorizing and research focus on families and communities, and the intersections of vulnerability and resilience among military families.
- Ph.D., The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- M.S., Kansas State University
- B.A., The King's College
- Kansas State University, College of Health and Human Sciences, Distinguished Career Achievement Award, 2021
- Military Family Research Center and Association of the U.S. Army, Excellence in Research on Military and Veterans Families Award, 2018.
- Defence Canada, Military Family Services/Services Aux Families Des Militaires, Spirit of Military Families Coin, 2014.
- University of Minnesota, Ambiguous Loss Visiting Scholar, Department of Family Social Science, (Summer 2013)
- Kansas State University, Distinguished Alumni Research Award, 2008.
- World Demographic Association, St. Gallen, Switzerland, Fellow, 2007.
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Distinguished Alumni Service Award, 2007.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2006 Honor Award for Excellence, Army 4-H Youth Development Project, 2006.
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Research and Creative Scholarship Award, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, 2004.
- National Council on Family Relations, Elected Fellow, 2002.
- Virginia Association on Aging, Outstanding Educator Award, 2002.
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Distinguished Alumnus Award, School of Human Environmental Sciences, 2002.
- National 4-H Association, National Technology Curriculum Award, Adult Division, 1999.
- United States Government, National Park Service, Recognition of Service Certificate, 1992.
- Outstanding Young Men of America, 1979.
- National Council on Family Relations, Recognition of Service Certificate, 1977 and 1991.
- Sigma Phi Omega National Honor Society, 1982.
- National Council on Family Relations, Young Professional Award (finalist), 1976.
- Omicron Nu National Honor Society ,1973.
Select CV at top of page for full list
Mancini, J.A. (in press). Models of family leisure time-use: Implications for family interaction, stress, and resilience. In M. Uysal, J. Sirgy, & S. Kruger (Eds.). Tourism and quality of life research II. NY: Springer.
Lee, S., Wickrama, K.A.S., Futris, T.G., Simmons, L.A., Mancini, J.A., & Lorenz, F.O. (2021). The biopsychosocial associations between marital hostility and physical health of middle-aged couples. Journal of Family Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000827
Linder, J. N., & Mancini, J.A. (2021). Observations on the relationship between resilience and mindfulness. Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review, 3 (2). https://epublications.regis.edu/cftsr/vol2/iss2/1
Lucier-Greer, M., Howard, S., & Mancini, J.A. (2020). Parental relationship quality and adolescent depressive symptoms: Investigating the role of parental warmth and hostility in United States military families. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. doi:10.1111/jmft.12451
O’Neal, C.W., & Mancini, J.A. (2020). Military families’ stressful reintegration, family climate, and their adolescents’ psychosocial health. Journal of Marriage and Family. DOI:10.1111/jomf.12711
McCoy, M., O’Neal., C.W., Gale, J., Goetz, J., & Mancini, J.A. (2020). Financial Boundary ambiguity among military spouses. Family Relations. https://doi.org/10.111/fare.12520
Mallette, J., O’Neal, C.W., Richardson, E., & Mancini, J.A. (2020). When fathers are involved: Examining relational and psychosocial health among military families. Family Process. doi:10.1111/famp.12566
O’Neal, C.W., Mancini, J.A., & Bowen, G.L. (2020). Connecting experiences of community shared responsibility and collective competence to the well-being of adults in military families. Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22357
Mancini, J.A., O’Neal, C.W., & Lucier Greer, M. (2020). Toward a framework for military family life education: Looking backward, moving forward. Family Relations. DOI: 10.1111/fare.12426
Lucier-Greer, M., McCoy, M., Gale, J., & Goetz, J., & Mancini, J.A. (2019). Exploring the context of self-care for youth in military families. Children and Youth Services Review. https://doi.org/10.1016.j.childyouth.2019.104599
O’Neal, C.W., Lucier-Greer, M., & Mancini, J.A. (2019). The role of community context and psychological well-being for physical health: A dyadic study of military couples. Military Psychology. https://doi.org.10.1080/08995605.2019.1579608
Futris, T.B., O’Neal, C.W., Dockter, T., Mancini, J.A., & Brown, G. (2019). Variations in outcomes between foster and non-foster youth following sex and relationship education. Child & Youth Care Forum. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-018-9484-8
Armes, S.E., Muruthi, J.R., Milroy, W.H., & Mancini, J.A. (2019). Getting sorted out in East London: Vulnerability and resilience of ex-Servicemen. European Journal of Homelessness, 13, 15-39.
O’Neal, C.W., Richardson, E., & Mancini, J.A. (2018). Community, context, and coping: How social connections influence coping and well-being for military members and their spouses. Family Process. DOI:10.1111/famp.12395
O’Neal, C.W., Lucier-Greer, M., Duncan, J.M., Mallette, J.K., Arnold, A.L., & Mancini, J.A. (2018). Vulnerability and resilience within military families: Deployment experiences, reintegration, and family functioning. Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1149-6 Note: Finalist, 2019 Excellence in Research on Military and Veteran Families Award.
Mancini, J.A., O’Neal, C.W., Martin, J., & Bowen, G.L. (2018). Community social organization and military families: Theoretical perspectives on transitions, contexts, and resilience. Journal of Family Theory and Review. DOI:10.1111/jftr.12271
O’Neal, C.W., Mallette, J., & Mancini, J.A. (2018). The importance of parents’ community connections for adolescent well-being: An examination of military families. American Journal of Community Psychology. DOI:10.1002/ajcp.12222
O’Neal, C.W., & Mancini, J.A. (2017, Spring). Families at arm’s length: Observations on contexts, patterns, and processes of resilience. NCFR Report, Family Focus.https://www.ncfr.org/families-arms-length-observations-contexts-patterns-and-processes-resilience Note: Named one of the 10 best articles in Family Focus for 2015-2019.
Clark, M., O’Neal, C.W., Conley, K., & Mancini, J.A. (2017). Resilient family processes, personal reintegration, and subjective well-being outcomes for military personnel and their family members. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ort0000278
Landers-Potts, M., O’Neal, C.W., & Mancini, J.A. (2017). Electronic communication use and socio-emotional well-being among military youth. Journal of Child and Family Studies. DOI 10.1007/s10826-017-0833-2
Boss, P., Bryant, C.M., & Mancini, J.A. (2017). Family stress management: A contextual approach. (3rd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Ross, B.D., O’Neal, C.W., Arnold, A.L., & Mancini, J.A. (2017). Money matters in marriage: Financial concerns, warmth, and hostility among military couples. Journal of Family and Economic Issues. DOI 10.1007/s10834-017-9522-y
O’Neal, C.W., Mancini, J.A., & DeGraff, A. (2016). Contextualizing the psychosocial well-being of military members and their partners: The importance of community and relationship provisions. American Journal of Community Psychology. DOI 10.21002/ajcp.12097
Okafor, E., Lucier-Greer, M., & Mancini, J.A. (2016). Social stressors, coping behaviors, and depressive symptoms: A latent profile analysis of adolescents in military families. Journal of Adolescence, 51, 133-143.
DeGraff, A., O’Neal, C.W., & Mancini, J.A. (2016). The significance of military contexts and culture for understanding family well-being: Parent life satisfaction and adolescent outcomes. Journal of Child and Family Studies. DOI. 10.1007/s10826-016-0471-0
O’Neal, C.W., Mallette, J., Lanier, A.R., Mancini, J.A., & Huebner, A.J. (2016) Worried, concerned, and untroubled: Antecedents and consequences of youth worry. Child & Family Social Work. DOI:10.1111/cfs.12298
Conley, K.M., Clark, M.A., Vande Griek, O.H., & Mancini, J.A. (2016). Looking backward, moving forward: Exploring theoretical foundations for understanding employee resilience. Organization and Industrial Psychology, 9, 491-497.
Lee, S., Wickrama, K.A.S., Futris, T., & Mancini, J.A. (2016). Linking work control to depressive symptoms through intrapersonal and marital processes. Journal of Family Issues. DOI: 10.1177/0192513X16663252
Bowen, G.L., Jensen, T.M., Martin, J.A., & Mancini, J.A. (2016). The willingness of military members to seek help: The role of social involvement and social responsibility. American Journal of Community Psychology. DOI 10.1002/ajcp.12030
Richardson, E., Mallette, J., O’Neal, C.W., & Mancini, J.A. (2016). Do youth development programs matter? An examination of transitions and well-being among military youth. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25, 1765-1776. DOI 10.1007/s10826-010-0361-5