Human Development and Family Sciences
Research Areas
Interdisciplinary fields such as HDFS are ideally suited to address the grand challenges and big debates that affect every citizen of our world. We have nationally and internationally renowned faculty engaged in research on child development, early care programs, systems and policy, early literacy, the relationship between poverty, development and family functioning, domestic violence and the legal system, globalization, food insecurity, stigma, health, and many other family and community related topics.
Importantly, their expertise is not just situated in lab-based research settings: instead, they work in local and global communities and bring their experiences to the classroom on a daily basis. See how we’re making a difference in the world.
News
UD senior Kaitlyn Hand plans to give back to the community that supported her through her new teaching career May 21, 2026 The traditional college experience is often portrayed as a straight path — four years, one program, one campus — all leading to n …
UD’s Teacher Residency program partners with Delaware teachers, supporting high-need Delaware schools through professional mentorship June 5, 2026 Learning and connection. That’s what drew Juliet Samuel, now a high school chemistry teacher at Brandywin …
Marion H. Steele Symposium celebrates student research with panel and poster presentations and student awards May 5, 2026 On April 24, the University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) hosted the annual Marion H. Steele Sympo …