Meet The Team

The CARE Lab includes a collaborative team of faculty, students, and professionals working to advance the science and practice of relationship health.

Lab Directors and Staff  

  • Dr. Ted Futris

    Lab Director, Professor, Human Development and Family Science  

    Email: tfutris@uga.edu

    Dr. Futris translates research into practice to advance the implementation and evaluation of couples relationship education.  His passion to elevate the relationship quality of couples is deeply rooted in his love for his wife, two sons, and their fur babies. He also values community and takes great joy in supporting students, colleagues, and family-serving professionals as they work together to advance the science and practice that strengthens families.

  • Dr. Evin Richardson

    Lab Co-Director, Assistant Research Scientist, Human Development and Family Science 

    Email: evinr@uga.edu

    Dr. Richardson studies couple and co-parenting relationships of families who experience frequent transitions, including foster families and military families, and the benefits of family life education programs to improve their individual, couple, and family well-being. Outside of work, Dr. Richardson loves spending time with her husband and two young children. She also enjoys bringing people together and often hosts gatherings in her home! 

  • Matt Hampl

    Project Manager

    As the Project Manager for Elevate Couples Georgia, Matt oversees planning, organization, and financial management to ensure our federally funded project runs smoothly. He enjoys supporting his team in problem-solving and takes pride in enhancing participants’ experiences. Outside of work, Matt loves the outdoors and has adventured with his family from hiking to volcanoes to exploring the Appalachian Trail.  

  • Brigette Love

    Virtual Program Coordinator

    As the Virtual Program Coordinator for Elevate Couples Georgia, Brigette coordinates our virtual ELEVATE workshops, website and social media. With a background in supporting foster and adoptive parents, she is passionate about supporting healthy relationships and really enjoys being part of couples’ Elevate journeys! In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and caring for their cows, chickens, and cattle dog. 

Graduate Students

  • Michael Cataluna

    Michael is a PhD student in Human Development and Family Science. He joined the CARE Lab in Summer 2025, and supports data processing and analysis. He enjoys performing improv comedy and previously served as president of UGA’s improv troupe.  

  • Shuangyue “Tracy” Cui

    Tracy is a PhD student in Human Development and Family Science. She joined the CARE Lab in Fall 2022, and is currently our CARE Lab Manager. With experience in data cleaning and analysis, fidelity coding, and project management, she leads multiple teams to support research coordination and quality. Outside of the lab, Tracy enjoys a variety of crafting projects. 

  • Jenna Lawlor

    Jenna is a PhD student in Human Development and Family Science at Auburn University. Her collaboration with the CARE Lab, which began in Spring 2025, focuses on the effects of ADHD on couple relationships. Jenna enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, daughter, and golden-doodle. She also teaches swim lessons in her free time.

  • Connor McAlpin

    Connor is a MS student in the Couples and Family Therapy program within the department of Human Development and Family Science. He joined the CARE Lab in Fall 2025, and is helping launch our new self-paced, online version of the ELEVATE program. Connor enjoys spearfishing, backpacking, and archery when he’s not buried in a good fiction book or watching old Spielberg movies.

  • Daniela Ziebenberg

    Daniela is a PhD student in the Department of Psychology at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio De Janeiro in Brazil. Her collaboration with the CARE Lab, which began in Spring 2025, centers on adapting and piloting relationship education tools, including the Couple Relationship Skills Inventory and the ELEVATE program, for Portuguese-speaking couples.

Undergraduate Students

  • Violet Hines

    Violet is an HDFS major, expecting to graduate in December 2025.  She joined the CARE Lab Spring 2025. Violet creates educational social media posts, assists with research papers, and supports couple communication projects. A fun fact is that her and her two sisters all have a flower in their names. 

  • Caroline Colucia

    Caroline is a Psychology major, minoring in HDFS and Sociology, and expecting to graduate May 2027. She joined the CARE Lab in Fall 2025. As a volunteer, she is helping us collect data and prepare reports summarizing the impact of outreach program.

  • Rebecca Kann

    Rebecca is a Psychology major with a History minor, in the Double Dawgs HDFS program, and expecting to graduate May 2026. She joined the CARE Lab Spring 2025. As a CURO student, Rebecca is completing an undergraduate thesis on relationship quality in couples where one or both partners are at risk for ADHD. Rebecca can also solve a Rubik’s cube.  

  • Rosslyn Milne

    Rosslyn is a Psychology major in the Double Dawgs HDFS program, expecting to graduate May 2026. She joined the CARE Lab Fall 2025. Rosslyn is providing support with the implementation and evaluation of youth-focused relationship education in Washington County, GA. An enthusiastic traveler, she has journeyed to 19 countries.

  • Isabella Nelson

    Isabella is a Psychology and Criminal Justice major expecting to graduate May 2026. She joined the CARE Lab in Spring 2025. As a CURO student, Isabella is co-authoring a manuscript examining the link between adverse childhood experiences and later couple relationship quality. Her favorite movie is High School Musical 3.  

  • Gabriella Salazar

    Gabriella is a Psychology major with HDFS minor, in the Double Dawgs HDFS program, and expecting to graduate May 2026. She joined the CARE Lab Spring 2025. As a CURO student, she is studying the association between gratitude and couple relationship quality. Fun fact: she has been unicycling since she was 8 years old and even taught it at summer camp.  

Collaborators

We are fortunate to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of researchers and practitioners who advance the research on couples’ relationship education.