Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University

Last week, we welcomed MFRI’s Advisory Council to campus for our annual meeting, where we had meaningful discussions focused on shaping MFRI’s future. We’re grateful for the dedication of our council members and the valuable perspectives and expertise they bring to our work. 🤝

We’re excited for all that’s ahead in the coming year! ⭐

The application for MFRI's new program, the Evaluation Champions, is now open! 📣

This is a unique opportunity for non-profit organizations and researchers. Through this program, researchers will connect with organizations to develop actionable evaluation strategies, and organizations will receive guidance on how to best integrate evaluation into their programs.

⤵️Learn more at mfri.purdue.edu/mfri-launches-evaluation-champions-program/

MFRI launches Evaluation Champions program - The Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University The Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) at Purdue University is excited to launch the new Evaluation Champions program, a unique opportunity for non-profit organizations and researchers to build capacity for […]

Exciting news - Measuring Our Communities: The State of Military and Veteran Families in the United States is available now! 🎉👏

We celebrated its release during a virtual launch event yesterday, where we shared key findings from the report and heard insights on the data's practical usage from our partners, the National Military Family Association, the Arizona Coalition for Military Families and the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NC.dmva).

💻Read the full report now: go.purdue.edu/2026-mc-report
📼 Watch the replay of the live event: go.purdue.edu/2026-mc-launch-event

📣The online launch event for the latest Measuring Communities Report starts in just one hour! Join us as we discuss key findings from the report and explore how data can be used to create stronger systems of support for military-connected families. 🤝

⤵️Register now

Measuring Communities Launch Measuring Communities Launch

The virtual launch event for the latest Measuring Communities report is today!

We're excited to welcome Eileen Huck, the Director of Government Relations from the National Military Family Association, as one of our presenters! During the launch event, Eileen will be sharing more on NMFA's work and how they use data to inform legislative priorities.

Join us this afternoon for an important conversation on how to use the latest information on military-connected families to make data-informed decisions.

📆 Thursday, May 15
🕑2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT
💻 go.purdue.edu/MCLaunch2026

We're excited to introduce another presenter for the Measuring Communities virtual report launch event, Andrea Allard!

Andrea is the Outreach and Transition Support Director for the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NC.dmva). Our team made a data profile using Measuring Communities data that highlights the women veteran community in North Carolina. During the launch event, Andrea will tell us how she plans to use this data profile to propose real change through state-level partnerships, legislation, and programming specifically designed for women veterans.

Don't miss this chance to hear this firsthand account of how using Measuring Communities data can transform support for military-connected families in your area!

📆 Thursday, May 15
🕑2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT
💻 go.purdue.edu/MCLaunch2026

We're just two days away from the virtual event for our latest Measuring Communities Report! 👏

We're excited to welcome Nicola Winkel, Project Director at the Arizona Coalition for Military Families as one of our Data Champions! Using Measuring Communities data, our team created a data profile focused on Arizona's military-connected communities and su***de prevention efforts. During the launch event, Nicola will provide an exploratory analysis of how the Arizona Coalition for Military Families worked with our team to design this data profile, and she'll tell us how it's being used to better serve the military-connected community. 💡

Join us this Thursday afternoon for this important conversation about data-driven impact for military-connected families!

Our MFRI students are celebrating two special milestones: the end of the semester and the end of data collection for our current research study, Operation Military Experience! 👏

Operation Military Experience explores how deployments after 9/11 have impacted adolescents whose parents served. We're so grateful for the work done by students; they collaborated with MFRI's research team to interview hundreds of military families from nearly every state!

We're looking forward to sharing findings from the study, stay tuned for more information!

🔗 opme.mfri.purdue.edu/

📣The virtual launch event for the latest Measuring Communities report is next week! During the free event, we'll explore insights into the current state of military and veteran families.

Key findings from the report include:
💡Approximately 6.2 million children live in a household headed by a veteran, and about 75% of these children are aged 6-18.
💡Military spouses have entered the workforce at higher numbers in recent years, but the unemployment rate for this group has remained high.
💡Suicide rates continue to rise, with su***de being the second leading cause of death for veterans under 45.
💡Service members and their families face unique financial challenges, with lower-enlisted personnel experiencing financial hardship at higher rates.

Join us next Thursday to hear more key findings and to get first access to the full report! The event is open to all and free to attend, but registration is required.
📆 May 15
🕑2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT
💻 Register now: go.purdue.edu/MCLaunch2026

Arizona Coalition for Military Families NC.dmva

There are only a few hours left of , don't miss your chance to make your mark in supporting veterans, service members and their families! No matter the size of the gift, you can help us continue providing essential research and services in support of military families across the country. ⭐

Let's finish the day strong together! Visit go.purdue.edu/PDoG2026MFRI to give 🤝