Stephanie Coontz

Stephanie Coontz is the Director of Research and Public Education for the Council on Contemporary Families and emeritus faculty of History and Family Studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. She also serves as an advisor to MTV for its anti-bias campaign.

A preeminent authority on the history of marriage and families, Coontz is the author of five books on gender, family, and history, including "Marriage, A History: How Love Conquered Marriage," which was cited in the US Supreme Court decision on marriage equality. She has edited and contributed chapters to more than 25 other books, and her writings have been translated into a dozen languages. Her articles have appeared in both popular and academic media, from The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal to the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Journal of Marriage and Family. Coontz' work and Coontz herself have also been featured on "Oprah Winfrey," the "Today Show," "PBS News Hour" and National Public Radio.

As a passionate advocate for academics in public life, Coontz conducts media training workshops around the country, both for professional groups and at academic institutions. She has received numerous accolades including: The Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award from the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts; the Work-Life Legacy Award from the Families and Work Institute; the Council on Contemporary Families’ Visionary Leadership Award; the Dale Richmond Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics; an honorary doctorate from Muhlenberg College; and in 2022, she was named one of the 25 most influential women historians in the past 10 years by Academic Influence.