Professor of Gerontology, Cornell University
Author of Fault Lines and 30 Lessons for Loving

![Dr. Pillemer headshot]

Background:
Dr. Karl Pillemer is a professor of gerontology at Cornell University and one of America’s leading researchers on intergenerational family relationships. His work focuses on what makes family relationships thrive—or fail—across generations.

Expertise:

• Intergenerational family dynamics
• Grandparent-parent relationship management
• Conflict resolution in extended families
• Evidence-based relationship advice

Key Contributions:
Dr. Pillemer’s Cornell Legacy Project interviewed over 1,500 older Americans about their life wisdom, including grandparenting insights. His research provides evidence-based strategies for navigating common grandparenting challenges like setting boundaries, managing conflicts with adult children, and maintaining involvement without overstepping.

Why We Feature Him:
Dr. Pillemer brings rigorous research methodology to grandparenting advice. His work helps grandparents understand the parent-grandparent relationship dynamics that either enable or hinder grandparent involvement.

Publications:

• Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them (2020)
• 30 Lessons for Loving: Advice from the Wisest Americans on Love, Relationships, and Marriage (2015)
• Over 200 peer-reviewed articles