Keith Bellizzi published a new book, Falling Forward: The New Science of Resilience and Personal Transformation. Learn more about it here: https://www.keithbellizzi.com/fallingforward
Faculty
Mary Tabb Foley, Faculty Spotlight, January 2026
Mary Tabb Foley first joined the UConn community more than 20 years ago as an undergraduate student. UConn was her first choice – a place that felt both exciting and familiar, being close to her hometown in Connecticut. She began her time at UConn planning to become an elementary school teacher, until a chance enrollment in a Human Development and Family Relations course which required a fieldwork placement changed her entire academic plan. Assigned to the infant classroom at the Child Development Labs, Mary felt an immediate and undeniable pull toward early childhood education, working with children under three years old. That single experience redirected her path and opened the door to a career she instantly knew aligned with her heart and life’s purpose.
Mary often shares this story with students as an example of how remaining open to new experiences or opportunities can lead to a deeply fulfilling and unexpected journey – both professionally and personally. After graduating from UConn, Mary worked in community-based early childhood programs in several urban areas of Connecticut, caring for and guiding the learning of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Finding ways to discover her professional role and engaging in statewide organizations and events, she strengthened her commitment to leadership and her desire to positively impact the lives of young children and families.
Driven by her passion for lifelong learning, Mary pursued a Master of Arts dual-degree in Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Saint Joseph, along with CT Teacher Certification focused on birth through kindergarten. She subsequently worked with Connecticut’s youngest children in the CT Birth to Three system and later spent nearly five years with the Early Childhood Consultation Partnership. This statewide mental health consultation program allowed Mary to integrate her deep knowledge of child development, family engagement, and caregiver support to enhance the social and emotional well-being of children birth to five. Her professional roles have spanned the many facets of early childhood work—high-quality education, developmental guidance, early intervention, and community collaboration.
In 2012, Mary returned to UConn in a new capacity, joining UConn Stamford as a lecturer and program coordinator for the new Early Childhood Specializations (ECS) on that campus. Historically offered only in Storrs, Mary launched the specialization in Stamford to expand access and respond to the need for highly prepared early childhood professionals in Fairfield County. After a decade of supporting, shaping, and growing the Stamford program, Mary transitioned back to Storrs in Fall 2022, where she continues to serve as faculty in HDFS.
Since rejoining the Storrs campus, Mary has devoted much of her work to strengthening the ECS program and reaching as many students as possible who might want careers working with young children and families. Through these efforts she has brought recognition to the program and to the department’s broader initiatives. She plays a key role in coordinating program activities, advising and mentoring students, and supporting the structures that help ECS thrive. Mary has also contributed deeply to the ECS national accreditation efforts, helping to align curricula, gather data, and document program quality. She approaches this work as part of her commitment to supporting colleagues, improving student experiences, and ensuring that future early childhood professionals receive the intentional, high-quality preparation they deserve.
With a consistent passion for continued growth and learning, Mary regularly seeks opportunities at UConn and on a broader national level to strengthen her teaching, deepen her understanding of early childhood policy and advocacy, and remain responsive to the evolving needs of the field. She believes that early childhood professionals must be open to continuous learning to best support young children and families, a belief that fuels her dedication to preparing emerging early childhood professionals year after year.
Mary lives with her husband, two young sons, and their dog, Nico, just over the state line in Longmeadow, MA. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys time with family, creating a comfortable home, and diving into her many interests, including reading, running, DIY projects, cooking and baking, organizing, and dreaming up future travel adventures to see as many parts of the country/world as possible.
Alaina Brenick receives MLK Legacy Award
Congratulations to Alaina Brenick, winner of the UConn MLK Legacy Award!
Vida Samuel, Faculty Spotlight, December 2025
Vida was promoted to Associate Professor-in-Residence effective August, 2025!
In recent years, Professor Vida Samuel has been on a whirlwind of career triumphs, community impact, and culinary adventures. In addition to her recent promotion, Vida is a Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Applied Research in Human Development (CARHD) and the Department of Social and Critical Inquiry. Vida also received a certificate in campaign management from The Campaign School at Yale Law School.
Vida is a scholar in women’s studies and intercultural communication with a focus on the sexual lives of women at midlife. Beyond that, she is dedicated to breaking down barriers in education, championing post-secondary access and success for first-generation students and returning adults. She is the recipient of the 2025 UConn HDFS Excellence in Teaching award and the 2024 UConn Undergraduate Faculty Academic Advising award. She also helps keep the University ethical by serving on the IRB Committee.
When Vida is not teaching, she is making a measurable difference in the lives of women and girls. She is an ardent advocate, seamlessly blending education, advocacy, and community service to create a lasting impact. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed; she received LiveGirl’s 2024 Community Impact award. Vida also works closely with the Fairfield County Community Foundation as an expert in the unintended consequences of legislation on post-secondary education.
You know you’ve made it when you are talking about Barbie! In January, Vida was a featured speaker at the opening of New York City’s Museum of Arts and Design Presents Barbie®: A Cultural Icon. Her UConn Foundation sponsored talk, From Dreamhouse to Boardroom: Branding Empowerment and Leadership, addressed the iconic doll’s lasting social influence, the evolving understanding of female identity, and the growing demand for representation.
Vida was the proud keynote speaker at the St. Lucian American Association of Connecticut’s 46th Independence Gala in March proving that life is a beautiful full-circle moment. Connecticut was the first state she lived in after arriving from St. Lucia and she describes the moment as a profound homecoming.
Vida remains a force in mentorship. She is currently an advisor to the LiveGirl board (after serving as a board member) and continues to host their popular eight-week leadership programs on the UConn Stamford campus for high school girls. This fall, she is hosting SHE THRIVES, a new pilot high school program designed to help girls thrive, both in school and in life. She is still the go-to mentor for students and young adults looking to navigate their professional journeys.
If you thought she could not fit anything else into her schedule, think again. Vida holds a certificate in culinary arts and generously volunteers with Food Rescue US, a national organization that tackles food waste by collecting fresh, edible food from establishments and delivering it to local service agencies and shelters. She was also the volunteer deputy director of communication for a local legislator in the last election.
When she finally puts the lesson plans and apron down, Vida spends her time doing the things that matter: traveling (spending most summers outside of the US), cooking, and catching up with her mother Gloria and nephew, Nicholas, on FaceTime. She lives her best and bustling life in Fairfield County.
Vida Samuel, Faculty Spotlight, December 2025
Vida was promoted to Associate Professor-in-Residence effective August, 2025!
In recent years, Professor Vida Samuel has been on a whirlwind of career triumphs, community impact, and culinary adventures. In addition to her recent promotion, Vida is a Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Applied Research in Human Development (CARHD) and the Department of Social and Critical Inquiry. Vida also received a certificate in campaign management from The Campaign School at Yale Law School.
Vida is a scholar in women’s studies and intercultural communication with a focus on the sexual lives of women at midlife. Beyond that, she is dedicated to breaking down barriers in education, championing post-secondary access and success for first-generation students and returning adults. She is the recipient of the 2025 UConn HDFS Excellence in Teaching award and the 2024 UConn Undergraduate Faculty Academic Advising award. She also helps keep the University ethical by serving on the IRB Committee.
When Vida is not teaching, she is making a measurable difference in the lives of women and girls. She is an ardent advocate, seamlessly blending education, advocacy, and community service to create a lasting impact. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed; she received LiveGirl’s 2024 Community Impact award. Vida also works closely with the Fairfield County Community Foundation as an expert in the unintended consequences of legislation on post-secondary education.
You know you’ve made it when you are talking about Barbie! In January, Vida was a featured speaker at the opening of New York City’s Museum of Arts and Design Presents Barbie®: A Cultural Icon. Her UConn Foundation sponsored talk, From Dreamhouse to Boardroom: Branding Empowerment and Leadership, addressed the iconic doll’s lasting social influence, the evolving understanding of female identity, and the growing demand for representation.
Vida was the proud keynote speaker at the St. Lucian American Association of Connecticut’s 46th Independence Gala in March proving that life is a beautiful full-circle moment. Connecticut was the first state she lived in after arriving from St. Lucia and she describes the moment as a profound homecoming.
Vida remains a force in mentorship. She is currently an advisor to the LiveGirl board (after serving as a board member) and continues to host their popular eight-week leadership programs on the UConn Stamford campus for high school girls. This fall, she is hosting SHE THRIVES, a new pilot high school program designed to help girls thrive, both in school and in life. She is still the go-to mentor for students and young adults looking to navigate their professional journeys.
If you thought she could not fit anything else into her schedule, think again. Vida holds a certificate in culinary arts and generously volunteers with Food Rescue US, a national organization that tackles food waste by collecting fresh, edible food from establishments and delivering it to local service agencies and shelters. She was also the volunteer deputy director of communication for a local legislator in the last election.
When she finally puts the lesson plans and apron down, Vida spends her time doing the things that matter: traveling (spending most summers outside of the US), cooking, and catching up with her mother Gloria and nephew, Nicholas, on FaceTime. She lives her best and bustling life in Fairfield County.
Preston Britner quoted in CT Insider article
A CT Insider investigation into homelessness in Connecticut quoted Preston Britner on the need to support child welfare-involved families. Read the article here https://www.ctinsider.com/projects/news/connecticut-housing-shortage-homelessness/
Sarah Rendon Garcia’s article on migrant health care in Think Global Health
Sarah Rendón García recently first authored an opinion piece for Think Global Health on the ripple effects of Federal bans to migrant health care on U.S. Citizens in the areas of early childhood education, addiction recovery services, and mental health programs: Read the article here https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/how-federal-bans-to-migrant-health-care-could-affect-u-s-citizens
Kim Gans featured in UConn Today
Kim Gans was featured in UConn Today about a program designed to reduce social isolation impacting homebound older adults: Read the article here https://today.uconn.edu/2025/11/training-program-delivers-resources-to-reduce-social-isolation-among-seniors/
Maria LaRusso, Faculty Spotlight, November 2025
Maria was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor effective August, 2025!
Maria LaRusso is a developmental psychologist and interdisciplinary scholar with research that integrates approaches from human development, psychology, health, education, and anthropology. However, her work has been most profoundly shaped by her training in Human Development, particularly the fundamental view of child and adolescent development as being shaped through interactions between the individual and their immediate contexts (family, school, community, etc.) which are nested within other systems that include cultural, economic, and political factors, as well as sociohistorical circumstances. From her experience as a child and family therapist, she also brings a clinical perspective to her research. For instance, her training in structural family therapy solidified her approach to understanding pathology and well-being as not laying within the individual, but within the interrelated “systems” that make up one’s world.
After completing a doctorate in Human Development and Psychology at Harvard University, Maria continued her training at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University with a Postdoctoral Education Research Training (PERT) Fellowship, which was created through a joint effort of the American Psychological Association and the Institute of Education Sciences to bring intervention research and experimental methods from psychology to educational settings. Her subsequent research focused on a range of social-emotional, behavioral, and risk prevention programs in schools, aiming to understand how interventions impact individuals and contexts and how individuals and contexts impact intervention delivery and success.
Maria’s more recent research is driven by the urgent need to address significant declines in youth well-being and mental health over the past decade. In her current projects, she investigates factors contributing to these declines, investigating multiple perspectives within and across ecological contexts (e.g., families, teachers and school staff, pediatricians, and mental health professionals). In the context of rising chronic health conditions among youth, she has also conducted several studies with families in the U.S. and internationally to uncover how inadequate care and support for children with complex or poorly understood conditions, particularly with psychiatric symptoms (PANS/PANDAS), have resulted in significant developmental disruptions. Taking an ecological approach, this research focuses on identifying how school and community supports can help children experience less severe developmental losses and continue to reach their full potential.
She is also working on new interventions that aim to reduce stress and improve well-being and mental health among adolescents, with an emphasis on children’s rights to healthy development. In particular, she recently completed two studies of a program for adolescents that bridges mindfulness practices with critical consciousness of the factors harming youth well-being, while also empowering them to resist and act against these factors, by adopting healthier habits (e.g., sleep, balanced technology use, physical activity) and engaging in social activism. The program was piloted in both the United States and Colombia, where her research has been supported by two Fulbright awards.
Outside of work, Maria enjoys music, Pilates, reading, meditating, and being in nature (in no particular order, but definitely after her morning cappuccino). Most of all, she enjoys spending time and traveling the world with her husband (also a professor) and their two daughters.
Kari Adamsons, HDFS Faculty Spotlight, October 2025
Kari was promoted to Professor effective August, 2025!
Dr. Kari Adamsons came to UConn 18 years ago, in 2007, following a fairly winding journey. She spent her first two years of college as an international relations major with a specialization in Russian foreign policy (which continues to come in dismayingly handy in recent years). However, she soon realized that although international politics are fascinating, that was something she’d rather learn about as a hobby than pursue as a career. Instead, she switched tracks and obtained a BA in psychology. She then moved to North Carolina and spent six years working as a paralegal for an insurance defense law firm. She eventually dropped back to working part-time at the law firm and pursued her Master’s in HDFS at University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), with a plan to DFSwork with non-profit agencies. However, after an internship with a non-profit during her Master’s program, she realized that also was not the career for her (too much bureaucracy!). Research, however, seemed pretty interesting, so she left the law firm and went back to school full time to get her PhD in HDFS at UNCG. After graduating and completing a one-year post-doctoral fellowship with UNCG’s Center for Youth, Family, and Community Partnerships, she joined UConn as an Assistant Professor of HDFS. Now a Professor, her favorite part of the job is that there are so many different parts to her job. She loves the energy involved in teaching and mentoring, and then recharging by hiding in her office and analyzing data, intermingled with occasional community trainings and applied work to remind her why she studies the things she does.
Broadly speaking, Kari studies fathers, which has allowed her to dabble in a number of different content areas; by simply adding the phrase “with fathers” to any subject, any area is open for exploration! To date, she has examined subjects such as the development and expression of fathering identities during the transition to parenthood, fathers’ influence on child obesity, nonresident fathering and shared parenting following divorce (and recently, during COVID), and most recently, the processes involved in the transmission of risk behaviors such as substance use between fathers and adolescent children. Her passion for understanding and including fathers dates back to an independent study in college. At the time, Kari was interested in child abuse prevention, and a local children’s advocacy organization requested research on whether fathers influenced children’s outcomes and should, therefore, be included in their abuse prevention efforts (then exclusively focused on mothers). Spoiler alert: the answer was yes, they do, and yes, they should. Carrying that experience into graduate school, Kari noticed that in every class about parents and families, the research talked about “parents,” but the samples only included mothers, meaning little was known about fathers. Kari has spent her career trying to answer all of those unanswered questions. Kari also is fascinated by theories and methodologies, and especially the ways that our theoretical lens or methodology not only influences our interpretation of our results, but often shapes the results themselves.
When she’s not working, Kari enjoys relaxing at home in the woods of Columbia, CT, with her husband, Jim, and the family pets. Those pets currently include 2 English Setters and 3 aquariums, but have, at various times, also included numerous pet chickens and rats. She’s a fanatic about the Washington Capitals, Dallas Cowboys, Boston Red Sox, and UConn basketball (women’s and men’s), and she also enjoys watching golf and tennis. She enjoys watching them precisely because she is skilled at exactly zero of those sports herself. When not watching sports, she is probably catching a show at either Hartford Stage or the Bushnell Theater, particularly if a Broadway production is in town.