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
Assistant Professors Eric Layland and Brittany Zakszeski share guidance for parents, teachers and school leaders October 10, 2025 During adolescence—a period defined by rapid physical, emotional and social development—LGBTQ+ youth often grapple with th …
Assistant Professor Eric Layland finds elevated mental health symptoms and underage substance use among Delaware LGBT+ youth October 10, 2025 National Coming Out Day continues to be a reminder that LGBTQ+ individuals make a brave decision to disclose t …
Young, promising scholars recognized for their outstanding research September 18, 2025 From the tiniest microbes to the earliest years of human life, Aditya Kunjapur, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Anamarie Whitaker, …
