Dr. Eman Tadros is an Assistant Professor at Governors State University in the Division of Psychology and Counseling. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® certified, and an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) approved supervisor. She is the former Ohio Family TEAM leader and the current Illinois Family TEAM leader advocating for MFTs and individuals receiving systemic mental health services. Her research follows the trajectory of incarcerated coparenting, incorporating family therapy into incarcerated settings, and the use of family systems theories within these settings. She is an alumna of the AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) and received her Ph.D. in 2019 from the University of Akron's Counselor Education and Supervision Marriage and Family Therapy program.
Eman was drawn to the MFP because she wanted to make meaningful connections and fund her education. She envisioned herself in academia, and the MFP aided her in networking and meeting individuals who held positions that she was seeking. She shared, “I saw the value of networking and creating lasting connections with those who are doing such important work. The colleagues and mentors I met during this program are still a part of my journey today and I’m so grateful for them.”
Eman considers herself a huge advocate for MFP and feels the program played a major role in not only her professional development, but her success overall. She shared, “The MFP “has been a major part of my success since my first year as a master’s fellow in 2014 where I was funded to attend my first AAMFT conference.” She knew from that very first conference that she wanted to present her work at that conference one day.
When asked how she has been able to leverage the skills and knowledge acquired in the MFP, Eman shared, “I learned from my mentor, Dr. Jared Durtschi, how to conduct more advanced statistical analyses. As a doctoral fellow, I conducted a study using data from the Multi-site Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting and Partnering to examine the change in coparenting over time of incarceration. Using growth curve analysis, the findings showed that the Hispanic population’s coparenting consensus decreased more over time than the other minority groups. These interesting results caused me to want to explore what tools are needed to strengthen this relationship particularly for Hispanic coparents.”
The MFP also provided Eman with the valuable mentorship she needed to advance her research. She shared, “The MFP funded my dissertation with the dissertation completion fellowship. My dissertation focused on the racial and ethnic differences in incarcerated coparenting. There is an abundance of research on incarceration and coparenting; however, there is very limited research on the intersection of the two, and no literature that addresses this through a systemic orientation.” With the help of the MFP, she was able to explore this intersection and contribute to new and existing bodies of research.
In closing, we asked Dr. Tadros for some advice for current and prospective fellows, she said, “For current MFP fellows, network, ask questions, and be flexible on your journey. And for anyone thinking of applying, do it. It is an amazing experience.”