The Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) at Purdue University today announced the finalists for the Thompson Award, which recognizes the most important and innovative research studies on military and veteran families published in the prior year.
This year’s finalists, selected for their significant contributions to military family research, include:
- Brief family involvement enhances veteran homework quality during trauma-focused psychotherapy by Michelle Fernando, Robert Fite and Johanna Thompson-Hollands
- Social role violations in a greedy institution: Genders, spouses’ military status, and servicemembers’ marital problems by Erika King, Elissa Hack, Graeme Bicknell, Brynn Crownover and Mark Oliver
- Risk factors for homelessness among post-9/11 era veterans by Stephen Metraux, Claire Kolaja, Baylee Crone, Thomas Byrne, Rudolph Rull and Ben Porter
- Strengthening connections: A randomized controlled trial examining the impact of a supervisor support intervention on loneliness and military couple relationships by Cynthia Mohr, AnnaMarie O’Neill, Jacquelyn Brady, Todd Bodner, Tori Crain and Leslie Hammer
- Caregiver emotional wellbeing is related to nursing home admissions among veterans by Megan Shepherd-Banigan, Zhen Li, Pujan Patel, Imari Smith, Jeanie Lo, Nadya Majette, Josephine Jacobs, Melissa Gersten-Harris, Timothy Jobin, Anushka Pai, Courtney Van Houtven and Katherine Miller
Each finalist has demonstrated excellence in research, significantly contributing to the visibility of military and veteran family issues, enhancing the impact of scientific evidence on related programs and policies, and fostering connections between researchers and practitioners in this important field. This year’s finalists were selected out of more than 900 eligible articles.
The winner of the award will be announced at the Thompson Forum.
The Thompson Forum
The Thompson Forum brings together leading researchers, non-profits, policymakers, and business leaders to foster connections and partnerships that advance research and practice. The 2026 Forum will be held Thursday, December 10, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET at the Association for the United States Army (AUSA) headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Attendance is free and open to all, but registration is required at go.purdue.edu/ThompsonForum2026.
The Thompson Award
Established in 2015 as the Excellence in Research on Military and Veteran Families Award, The Thompson Award recognizes the best new research on military and veteran families each year. Finalists are selected through a rigorous, multi-stage review process by a panel of leading scholars, and the winner is announced at The Thompson Forum.
About MFRI
Founded in 2000, the Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) at Purdue University conducts research on issues that affect military and veteran families and works to shape policies, programs and practices that improve their well-being. MFRI envisions a diverse support community that understands and addresses the most pressing needs of military and veteran families. To achieve this, MFRI collaborates to create meaningful solutions for them. This internationally recognized organization is housed in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences, in the Department of Human Development and Family Science.