Catherine A. Surra, Ph. D., is Professor of Human Development and Family
Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. She has researched the
development of romantic relationships for over 25 years. 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.
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.

For more information about Dr. Surra, see http://www.he.utexas.edu/hdfs/surra.php

Adam R. West, MSW, is a doctoral student in the Division of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. He has a master’s degree in social work, with an emphasis in clinical social work. His research interests include the development and evaluation of education programs for the enhancement of romantic relationships, how people form dating relationships, changes in the meaning of dating, and the role of dating in mate selection.