News & Announcements

  • Roselind Velez Amaker, HDFS Alumni Spotlight – October 2025
    Roselind is a passionate and dedicated first-generation academic who is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Couples and Family Therapy. As a proud UConn alum, she earned her HDFS BA, with a minor in Women’s Studies, in 2015. She later obtained her Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Central Connecticut State University in […]
    Posted on October 2, 2025
  • Lydia Nyarko, HDFS Graduate Student Spotlight, October 2025
    Lydia O Nyarko is a first-year HDFS master’s student working with Dr. Jolaade Kalinowski. Lydia earned her UConn BA in Global Health and Society with a minor in HDFS. As an undergraduate student, she explored health disparities and health equity. She became passionate about child health and community influences on child development. Lydia received a scholarship […]
    Posted on October 2, 2025
  • Dr Starlin Astacio, HDFS Alumni Spotlight, September 2025
    Dr. Starlin Astacio earned his B.S. in HDFS from UConn in 2016. Since then, Starlin has built a career rooted in healing, advocacy, and education. He subsequently earned an M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy from Central Connecticut State University in 2019 and a Ph.D. in Couple and Family Therapy from Antioch University in 2023. For […]
    Posted on September 3, 2025
  • Chizobaum Nweke, HDFS Graduate Student Spotlight, September 2025
    Chizzy is an HDFS PhD student who first joined the program in 2023. He was born in Southeastern Nigeria and holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, a medical degree from Igbinedion University, and a master’s degree in HDFS from the UConn. Before coming to UConn, Chizzy worked as a general medical practitioner […]
    Posted on September 3, 2025
  • Angel Reed, HDFS Graduate Student Spotlight, September 2025
    Angel Reed is a first-year PhD student working with Dr. Eva Lefkowitz, specializing in romantic relationships (specifically queer relationships). In Spring 2025, they graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama (UA) with a B.S. in Human Development and Psychology. As an undergraduate, they became passionate about researching romantic relationships and the various factors that […]
    Posted on September 3, 2025
  • Terry Berthelot, HDFS Faculty Spotlight, September 2025
    Terry was promoted to Associate Professor-in-Residence effective August, 2025! Terry Berthelot joined the HDFS Department in 2016. Her research and advocacy efforts are primarily about access to healthcare for people who are sixty-five and older and for people living with disabilities. She received her master’s degree in social work (MSW) from Syracuse University after which […]
    Posted on September 3, 2025
  • Candi Nwakasi selected as UConn Pepper Scholar
    Candi Nwakasi was featured in UConn Today for his recent selection as a UConn Pepper Scholar. Read all about it in UConn Today https://today.uconn.edu/2025/08/meet-uconn-pepper-centers-2025-rec-pepper-scholars/ 
    Posted on September 2, 2025
  • Rachel Vick, (’21 BA), HDFS Alumni Spotlight, August 2025
    Rachel began her time at UConn in Fall 2017. It took her until her junior year to realize she wanted to major in HDFS. When not in class or studying at the library, you would find Rachel running all over campus. She was on the cross country, indoor, and outdoor track teams for 4 years. […]
    Posted on August 1, 2025
  • Yuyang Hu, HDFS Graduate Student Spotlight, August 2025
    Yuyang Hu completed his PhD in Spring 2025. He started his academic journey as an undergraduate student majoring in law with a minor in applied psychology. He learned that he did not want to work as a prosecutor, judge, or lawyer, as most of his schoolmates did. Instead, he was attracted by the human mind […]
    Posted on August 1, 2025
  • Preston Britner, PhD, HDFS Faculty Spotlight, August 2025
    Preston Britner is a Professor of HDFS who has been on the faculty at UConn since 1997. “Brit” has been active in many service roles at department, college, university, state, and national professional organization levels throughout his time in Storrs. Brit was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Northern Virginia. A first-generation college […]
    Posted on August 1, 2025