UConn Today featured undergraduate researcher *Kayvona Brown who is currently enrolled in the HDFS Research Practicum with Assistant Professor Marketa Burnett exploring Black caregivers’ hopes and dreams for their daughters. Link: https://today.uconn.edu/2025/03/meet-the-undergraduate-researcher-kayvona-brown-clas/#
Author: Janice Berriault
Tracy Walters (PhD’23), new position as TA Prof at Marquette Univ
Congratulations to Tracy Walters (PhD ’23) who recently accepted a new position as Teaching Assistant Professor and Director of the Applied Psychology Data Analytics Master’s program at Marquette University to start this Fall!
Child Labs training workshop offered at EASTCONN conference
Marianne Legassey presented a training workshop to community childcare providers at the EASTCONN Annual Infant Toddler conference on March 7th. Marianne presented Trauma Informed Practices in Early Childhood. Christine Perkins, Child Labs Master Toddler Teacher and Kelly Clark, Child Labs Master Infant Teacher, presented a workshop at the conference. The workshop, cycle of Intentional Teaching for Sensory-Based Play with Infants and Toddlers, provided participants (infant and toddler center based teachers) opportunities to explore and create materials for their classrooms along with learning about intentional interactions with infants and toddlers.
HDFS faculty and grad students present at SBM conference
Eight HDFS faculty and four HDFS graduate students will be presenting 12 posters at the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) in San Francisco, CA at the end of March! See them all here
Na Zhang led mindfulness workshop for students at UConn Stamford
Assistant Professor Na Zhang recently organized a mindfulness workshop at UConn Stamford. She led students in meditation and discussed how to work with stress and improve quality of attention. Na plans to have one or two more of these workshops this semester.
Jennifer Dealy (PhD ’19) now Assoc Prof at Albertus Magnus College
Jennifer Dealy (PhD ’19) was recently promoted and tenured as associate professor of Psychology at Albertus Magnus College. Congratulations Jen!
Sebastian Perumbilly (PhD ’11) now full professor (MFT) at SCSU
Sebastian Perumbilly (PhD ’11) was recently promoted to full professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Southern Connecticut State University. Congratulations Seb!
Alex Reid (PhD ’18) promoted to Assoc Prof, Cal State Bakersfield
Alexander Reid (PhD ’18) was recently promoted and tenured as associate professor of Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies at Cal State Bakersfield. Congratulations Alex!
HDFS faculty featured in UConn’s State of Impact report
HDFS faculty featured in UConn’s report State of Impact! Specifically, Marlene Schwartz’s project in East Hartford schools to promote child health and wellbeing, and Rachel Chazan Cohen and Caitlin Lombardi’s work with CT child care centers and family child care homes were both highlighted in the report. Read the full report here, and find HDFS faculty work highlighted on page 24.
Ciara Collins (PhD ’23) now research scientist at Virginia Tech
HDFS Alum Ciara Collins (PhD ’23) is now a research scientist at the Institute for Policy and Governance at Virginia Tech. Congratulations Ciara!