Bryan Spuhler

Bryan Spuhler is an Assistant Professor in the School of Child and Family Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi. He earned his Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Utah State University (2020) and a BS in Business and Psychology from Utah Valley University (2011). His career bridges direct practice in foster care case management with academic research on family dynamics and policy.

• Ph.D., Human Development and Family Studies, Utah State University (2020)
• BS, Business and Psychology, Utah Valley University (2011)

Dr. Spuhler's research focuses on relationship education, financial expectations, and family policy, particularly in marginalized populations. His work examines how economic pressures intersect with relationship satisfaction, and he has developed educational frameworks for incarcerated individuals and low-income adults.

His recent publications analyze interventions for improving relationship education in correctional facilities (2019), financial planning's impact on happiness (2019), and expectations in vulnerable family structures (2019). These works span social work, family studies, and financial counseling fields, emphasizing economic disparities and preventive education.

He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses including:

• FAM 351 Marital and Family Relationships
• FAM 442 Family Finance
• FAM 605 Family Advocacy
• FAM 675 Practice of Family Research

Dr. Spuhler is affiliated with the National Council on Family Relations and fluent in English, with limited working proficiency in Chinese. His office is located in Joseph Greene Hall (JGH) 224, Hattiesburg, Mississippi.