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Human Development and Family Studies
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Students working on a research study to track facial gestures.

The world-class faculty in Penn State’s Human Development and Family Studies Department actively engage in cutting-edge research that expands the body of knowledge in our field, while also acting as mentors to our graduate students.

In keeping with our innovative and interdisciplinary mission in Human Development and Family Studies, the research possibilities here are extensive and diverse, covering domains such as adjustment among ethnic minority youth, development of risky behaviors in childhood and adolescence, infant sleep patterns and behaviors, gender socialization, preventing illness and criminal behavior — and much more.  To see what kind of research faculty and students are presenting at various research conferences this year click here.

 

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Last Name
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Summary Statement

Daily stress processes; adult development; family factors in mental health; work and family linkages; fatherhood; statistical techniques for measuring change.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Associate Teaching Professor of Social Work, World Campus Master of Social Work program
Summary Statement

Andrews is the director of field education for the HDFS online Master of Social Work program.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
ICDS Faculty Co-Hire
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Director, Quantitative Developmental Systems Methodology Core
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Professor-in-Charge, Undergraduate Programs
Summary Statement

Bo Cleveland studies individual differences in substance use and misuse as well as how individuals’ characteristics modify the impact of experiences on substance use and addictive behaviors. His work focuses on person-context and person-experience interactions.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Ken Young Family Professor for Healthy Children
Director, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
MPI, Translational Center for Child Maltreatment Studies
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, and Public Policy
Director of the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center
Summary Statement

Max Crowley is a prevention scientist investigating how to optimize investments in healthy development—with a focus on preventive strategies to reduce substance misuse and delinquent behavior.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Assistant Professor
Summary Statement

Researcher/practitioner interested in the development of social and emotional skills and wellbeing for youth and adults, including mindfulness and compassion-based strategies and systemic changes needed to promote individual and community growth, with a leadership focus.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Edna Bennett Pierce Faculty Fellow in Prevention Research
Summary Statement

Research interests include family systems processes underlying adolescent development (substance use, problem behavior, emotional distress, positive well-being) and understanding change processes in family-centered preventive interventions.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Associate Professor of Psychology
Edna P. Bennett Faculty Fellow in Prevention Research
Summary Statement

Steffany Fredman studies the interpersonal context of mental health (PTSD and related conditions), couple-/family- based interventions designed to simultaneously enhance individual mental health and relational wellbeing, and couple and family adaptation to stress across the li

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Summary Statement

Michael Hunter's research interests lie at the intersection of human development, mathematical modeling, and statistical computing.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Associate Teaching Professor of Social Work, World Campus Master of Social Work program
Summary Statement

Jayakody is the director of the online Master of Social Work program.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Assistant professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Ann Atherton Hertzler Early Career Professor in Health and Human Development
Summary Statement

Jones' work addresses the syndemic of substance use disorders, violence, sexual risk behaviors, and HIV/STIs, as well as evaluation of structural and behavioral interventions aimed at reducing substance use and associated harms.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Professor-in-Charge, Graduate Programs
Edna Bennett Pierce Professor of Compassion and Caring
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Associate Professor
Summary Statement

Lee directs the Sleep, Stress, and Health (STEALTH) laboratory. Her research aims to improve sleep and decrease stress in order to support health.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
Summary Statement

Lynn Martire’s research aims to identify the ways in which close relationships in adulthood affect health and chronic illness management, and the effects of chronic illness on close relationships. Dr. Martire teaches HDFS 418 and 546 (Family Relationships).

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Scranton campus
Academic Adviser, Master of Social Work, World Campus
Summary Statement

Melnick is the academic adviser for the HDFS online Master of Social Work program. She is also a teaching professor at Penn State, Scranton campus.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
ICDS Faculty Co-Hire
Summary Statement

Zita Oravecz's research work has been focused on developing and disseminating innovative computational and statistical techniques for addressing questions related to emotional and cognitive functioning and development.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Bennett Pierce Professor of Caring and Compassion and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Assistant Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Associate Teaching Professor of Social Work, World Campus Master of Social Work program
Summary Statement

Ross is the director of the specialization in Children and Families for the online Master of Social Work program.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, and Demography
Director, Morbidity, Mortality and Demography Lab
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Director, Center for Healthy Aging
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Distinguished Professor of HDFS
Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics
Department Head
Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Associate professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Summary Statement

Dr. Tornello has three major research interests: Family, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The majority her work has focused on the role of family composition and parental sexual orientation and gender in the family system.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS
Teaching Professor of Social Work, World Campus Master of Social Work program
Summary Statement

Twumasi-Ankrah is the director of the specialization in Mental Health and Substance Use for the online Master of Social Work program.

Department
  • Human Development and Family Studies - HDFS