Catherine A. Surra

Dr. Surra studies the development of marital and other romantic unions. Her research has examined how commitment evolves over time, the ways in which partners choose one another as mates, and the links between the selection process and the long-term health of relationships. In a recent survey, she was identified as one of the 25 most influential scholars in the field of personal relationships.

Dr. Surra has received grants from The National Institute of Mental Health and the United States Department of Agriculture. In 1998, she received the Teaching Excellence Award of the Department of Human Ecology. She was a founding board member, co-editor of the newsletter, and an officer of the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships. Her work is published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Marriage and the Family, and numerous other journals. She served on the editorial board of the Journal of Marriage and the Family and was Chair of the Research and Theory Section of the National Council on Family Relations.

NIH Biosketch