Congratulations to Professor Preston Britner, the winner of the Edward C. Marth Mentorship Award. The Marth Award was established by the UConn AAUP to recognize the leadership and dedication of Edward Marth, former Executive Director of the UConn AAUP Chapter, and to encourage and reward outstanding mentoring of graduate students by UConn Graduate Faculty members.
Faculty
Ryan Watson interviewed in UConn CSCH podcast
Assistant Professor Ryan Watson was interviewed in a UConn CSCH (Collaboratory on School and Child Health) podcast in honor of World AIDS day. On the podcast he discusses his research on disparities in access to HIV prevention tools among young men. You can listen to that podcast and Part 2 of the CSCH podcast (December 16, 2019) with Ryan Watson on substance abuse among LGBTQ youth here.
Ryan Watson featured in Hartford Courant podcast
Assistant Professor Ryan Watson was featured in a Hartford Courant podcast, discussing the implications of discussing politics and identities at the holiday dinner table. Listen to the podcast here.
Lefkowitz and Adamsons talk about HDFS name change in UConn Today


Professor and Department Head Eva Lefkowitz, and Associate Professor Kari Adamsons were interviewed about the department’s recent name change to Human Development and Family Sciences. Read the article in UConn Today.
Ryan Watson’s project published in Human Rights Campaign article
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) published an article about Assistant Professor Ryan Watson’s project on PrEP (among many other experiences) among Black & Latinx young MSM. Read the article here.
Khaleque to contribute chapter for Sage Handbook of Domestic Violence
Abdul Khaleque was invited to contribute a chapter on Fathers’ neglect of children for the Sage Handbook of Domestic Violence to be edited by Todd K. Shackelford, and published by the Sage Publications Ltd in 2020.
Rebecca Puhl quoted in UConn Today, and interviewed by MeasureRadio
Professor Rebecca Puhl was quoted in a UConn Today article, Weight Stigma Doesn’t Discriminate. Weight stigma is just as common among sexual minority adults as among heterosexual adults. Read the article.
Also, the podcast The Measure of Everyday Life recently interviewed Rebecca Puhl on the topic of communication about obesity, and the impact of weight stigma. Hear the podcast.
Steven Wisensale Retires After 35 Years
This past Spring, long-time HDFS professor Steve Wisensale retired after 35 years of teaching at UConn. During his time in HDFS, Wisensale held many important roles, including Acting Dean of the School of Family Studies. During his tenure he received three Fulbright Fellowships, allowing him to teach and study family policy and aging in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Japan. He also received several university-wide teaching awards, including the 1992 Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2008 Honors Faculty Member of the Year Award. In recent years, Wisensale was perhaps best known to his students for his popular class, Baseball and Society: Politics, Economics, Race, and Gender, that he designed and introduced. This non-traditional course made deep connections between baseball and the broader historical changes that have happened in society. Wisensale’s passion for baseball and teaching was undeniable, leading hundreds of students to apply for a spot in his class each time it was taught. Wisensale left a lasting impression on the HDFS department and UConn as a whole, and his regular presence will be deeply missed.
Caitlin Lombardi’s article selected for Editor’s Choice Award
Assistant Professor Caitlin Lombardi’s article was selected for the 2017 Editor’s Choice Award for the Journal of Cognition and Development. The award was announced at the October 2019 Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Development Society. Article: Casey, B. M., Lombardi, C. M., Pollock, A., Fineman, B., & Pezaris, E. (2017). Girls’ spatial skills and arithmetic strategies in first grade as predictors of fifth grade analytical math reasoning. Journal of Cognition and Development, 5, 530-555.
Eva Lefkowitz’s research featured in New York Times
Professor and Department Head Eva Lefkowitz’s research with former student Rose Wesche on the influence of friends and romantic partners on alcohol use, was featured in the NY Times.