University of Kentucky

Dr. Vail’s publications include three books, numerous refereed publications, abstracts, proceedings and technical reports.  Her books include: Taking Sides:  Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Family and Personal Relationships—an issues-based book used in college courses across the country; Taking Sides Instructors Guide; and an AAFCS Yearbook titled Leadership for Change:  National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences Education. 

Dr. Vail has secured more than $6,000,000 in external support for her research, program development and evaluation, and outreach initiatives.  Her research emphasis has been leadership development and teacher change.  Her program development and evaluation efforts have focused on building strong families in the areas of marriage education, parenting education, and nutrition education.  In terms of outreach she has been involved in initiatives to promote home ownership as a means to improving a community’s economic stability.  She was the co-developer of Family Times, a parenting and family education newsletter that was distributed to more than 460,000 households. 

Currently, she serves on the Health of Rural Kentucky Task Force in the Kentucky Institute of Medicine.  She is an active member of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Kentucky Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Kentucky Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Board of Human Sciences Executive Board, and the Council of Administrators for Family and Consumer Sciences.  She holds membership in three honor societies—Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Omicron Nu, and Phi Upsilon Omicron. 

In 2006 Dr. Vail was awarded the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Leader Award.  In 1997, Ohio State University recognized her as one of their Outstanding 100 Human Ecology Alumni of the Past 100 Years. 

Cristyn, originally from Michigan, holds a bachelor’s degree in Education from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in Counseling from Oakland University. Prior to joining the Bluegrass Healthy Marriage Initiative, Cristyn worked as a Clinician, Clinical Supervisor and Certification Unit Supervisor for non-profit, foster care agencies in the Detroit area. As a clinician, Cristyn specialized in working with sexually abused and sexually reactive children and has presented on this subject at local, regional and national conferences. In her work with non-profit agencies, Cristyn has also sat on numerous coalitions and committees focusing on foster care reform and enforcing state regulations on licensed foster homes. Cristyn plans to continue her education and is exploring doctoral programs at the University of Kentucky. Cristyn and her husband Tim have been married for 14 years and are the proud parents of one daughter, Kaitlin.

Kimberly P. Ethridge - Research Assistant

A doctoral student in the University of Kentucky Department of Family Studies, Kim holds a master's degree and bachelor's degree in Recreation and Park Administration from Eastern Kentucky University with an emphasis in Child Development. Kim's current research interests are the effects of deployment on military families. She joined the Bluegrass Healthy Marriage Initiative in January of 2008. Kim is currently teaching the Introduction to Family Life course in the Department of Family Studies. She has two young daughters, Mikayla and Lindsey.