Category: Human Development and Family Studies

Purdue University men’s basketball center Will Berg, a sophomore majoring in hospitality and tourism management in the College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS), knows the importance of family meals. In a February 2024 feature in the Purdue Exponent, Berg opened up about his love of cooking that started with regular dinners with his father, Martin — a joy that he then shared with other Purdue men’s basketball players.  

Cammie McBride, professor in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science and associate dean for research in the College of Health and Human Sciences, has dedicated her career to taking a global approach toward understanding how children learn to read, exploring literacy across English and Chinese languages, among others.

Purdue University Human Development and Family Science and Psychological Sciences alumna Janine Zweig’s passion for helping sexual assault survivors and those who have had other victimizing experiences has shaped her more than 25-year career.

Purdue University has begun work to improve the reading abilities of K-12 students in Indiana by strengthening teacher preparation using science-based methods. The work is funded in part by a $1.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded to Purdue in August as part of Lilly Endowment’s Advancing the Science of Reading in Indiana initiative, which launched in 2022.

Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences faculty and staff were asked to give their top tips for healthy bodies, minds and bank accounts. These new habits will ensure a good year and beyond.

From helping women student veterans find support and success in college to connecting military and veteran families with mental health resources, Purdue University’s Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) has enhanced the well-being of countless military and veteran families since its start in 2000 through its research and outreach activities.

For nearly 30 years, Catherine (Cammie) McBride, professor of human development and family science at Purdue University, has fostered career paths and influenced groups of scientists through exceptional mentoring. Now, the steadfast mentor is being recognized by the Association for Psychological Science (APS) with the 2024 APS Mentor Award. The award honors the dedication and impact of psychology researchers and educators with a distinguished record of teaching, advising, and encouraging students and colleagues.

Valerie Knopik and Kristine Marceau, professors in the Purdue Department of Human Development and Family Science, analyzed the effects of maternal smoking on pairs of siblings within 173 Missouri families. The team wanted to see how siblings in the same family performed in executive function tasks when one was born when the mother smoked during pregnancy and the other child was born when the mother was not smoking or smoked less.

Valerie Knopik, the Ben and Maxine Miller Professor of Human Development and Family Science and head of the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University is the new president of the Behavior Genetics Association (BGA).

As the first nationwide program designed specifically for women student veterans, the Focus Forward Fellowship, established in 2016, has helped 130 women veterans who are working toward a college degree find connection, build career skills and set their sights on success. The nationally competitive program, which is housed in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences’ Military Family Research Institute (MFRI), is welcoming its largest-ever cohort this summer, bringing 24 women to campus from July 18-22.

Emily Cowette, a sophomore in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS), made her debut leading the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band in fall 2022. This spring, she passed the renewal process and was confirmed as Golden Girl for the next academic year.

Join the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) for Spring Fest 2023, where we’ll have a variety of fun activities centered around human health and well-being.

Whether in emergency care, pediatrics, outpatient surgery or the neonatal intensive care unit, Mollie Henderson, an alumna of Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences, is bringing comfort and compassion to children and families’ hospital experience.

David Purpura, professor of human development and family science in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences, has devoted much of his career to creating lasting change in children’s understanding of math. By understanding the mechanisms that have demonstratable impacts on children’s early math learning, Purpura and his research team have tailored their findings into the development of math-focused children’s books, including the “Little Elephants’ Big Adventures” series, the “Pattern Pals” series, and the upcoming “Our Mathematical World” series. The books not only offer an opportunity for young children to learn math but also offer a tool that teachers and family members can use to support young children’s learning.

The Center for Families fulfilled Purdue’s land-grant mission through research, teaching and outreach, and it continues to be a concrete reminder that families, in all their diverse forms, are the foundation of society.

Using the simplest ingredients, Morgan Gibson, a senior studying family and consumer sciences in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences, knows how to teach a class of high school students how to make a nutritious meal. Serving in his student teaching role at Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Gibson is providing his students with valuable skills that will serve them their entire lives while also developing his skills as a family and consumer sciences (FCS) educator.

While some students find their perfect fit in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) right away, there are many avenues that lead students to the college, whether they transfer from another university or change their major at Purdue.

When I started at Purdue, I knew I wanted to pursue a helping profession, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. Throughout my first two years in the College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS), I explored various paths to my career.

The data collected from surveys and interviews with the families has the potential to inform programs that service the children and their families in Indiana.

The health and well-being of families is central to the research conducted through Purdue University’s Center for Families. Housed within the College of Health and Human Sciences’ (HHS) Department of Human Development and Family Studies, the center offers a hub where researchers, students and alumni can collaborate to explore a variety of issues surrounding families.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS study abroad returned in May. Dozens of students took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about their program while immersing themselves in new cultures.

While Barb Beaulieu has introduced a wide variety of family-centered programs within Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) Extension during her time as an extension specialist in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), she is most proud of the co-parenting education program, which offers education on communication strategies for parents going through divorce.

Now in her 30th year of teaching in Dearborn County, Indiana, Osman is being recognized with the Purdue HHS 2022 Distinguished Service Award for her leadership and significant contributions in East Central High School’s family and consumer sciences program, as she shapes the lives of her students and encourages them to give back to their community.

The popular New Year’s resolution to spend more time with loved ones — whether that be romantic partners, parents, siblings, friends or others — can actually offer a variety of physical and mental health benefits.

Kameron Moding, assistant professor of human development and family studies in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences, studies how picky eating, or selectivity with both familiar and unfamiliar foods, and food neophobia, or reluctance toward unfamiliar foods, relate to temperament and personality. Moding’s research shows that children who are more shy or fearful tend to be more food neophobic, or hesitant to try new foods.

It wasn’t a desire to teach that initially led Dennis Swender to the family and consumer sciences (FCS) education major in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences. He just wanted to help people — the training in education was merely a bonus that might help him if he chose to pursue a master’s degree in social work or counseling.

Headaches, insomnia, nausea, restlessness — high levels of stress can take a toll on the body. But what if the consequences of stress affect more than just your own health? A new study in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences suggests the way one partner in a relationship reacts to stress can affect their significant other’s health as well.

The Department of Human Development and Family Studies took root in child management and family living courses that first appeared in the Department of Household Economics in the early 1920s.

The addiction studies concentration was developed in partnership between Purdue University’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies and Ivy Tech Community College’s human services programs to create a pathway for students who major in human services to become licensed addiction counselors after receiving a four-year degree — fulfilling a pressing need during the current opioid crisis.

Sleep health is key for optimal development in children but especially for children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, professor of Human Development and Family Studies, is the recipient of the 2019 Lu Ann Aday Award—the most prestigious award given by Purdue University in humanities and social sciences.

Four students from the College of Health and Human Sciences are among the highest achieving students recognized during Spring 2019 commencement.

A recent study by Purdue University’s Military Family Research Institute at 10 food pantries in Indiana and Kentucky suggests there is promise for veterans and their families with food security issues.

Olivia Glowacki, a senior in Human Services who is passionate about social work, is already on her way to making lives better.

Purdue University Human Development and Family Studies researcher Kristine Marceau examines bibliographic data on puberty research—a critical period of biological & social development.

A long-distance telehealth study at Purdue University could help researchers identify autism symptoms in infancy, which could ultimately help children receive targeted therapy earlier.