Meet the Team
Daniel F. Perkins, Ph.D.
- Principal Scientist and Founder, Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State
- Professor of Family and Youth Resiliency and Policy, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education
- Courtesy Appointment with Human Development and Family Studies
Terri L. Rudy, M.P.A.
- Thrive Initiative Research Project Manager
- Resource Center for Improving Family Health Behaviors Research Project Manager
Our Partners
The Thrive Initiative is a result of a partnership funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) between the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) and the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture through a grant/cooperative agreement with the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State.
The DoD is the United States’ oldest and largest government agency, and it oversees the activities of more than 1.4 million men and women who are on active duty, 1.1 million members of the National Guard and Reserve forces, and nearly 1 million civilian personnel. MC&FP is directly responsible for programs and policies that establish and support community quality-of-life programs for Service members and their families worldwide. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
