Congratulations to *Nate Stekler, newly elected Students and New Professionals Representative of the NCFR Research and Theory Section.
Students
Undergrad researcher Kayvona Brown featured in UConn Today
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/#
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
Child Labs donate to CT Children’s Medical Center
The Child Labs community participated in CT Children’s Medical Center’s Pajama Day on Friday December 13th. Children, college students and staff wore pjs to school and made donations to CCMC to support children experiencing extended hospital stays. The Child Labs community raised more than $200!
HDFS 4007W course project featured in UConn Today
Laura Donorfio’s HDFS 4007W’s project to offer a career closet was featured in UConn Today https://today.uconn.edu/2024/12/uconn-waterburys-career-closet-service-learning-students-champion-professional-success-and-equity/
Vanessa Esquivel featured in UConn Today
Graduate student Vanessa Esquivel featured in UConn Today for her recent Head Start Dissertation Grant from the Administration of Children and Families for her dissertation work to study the association between parents and Early Head Start service providers. Caitlin Lombardi is mentoring Vanessa on this project. https://today.uconn.edu/2024/12/giving-latine-families-an-early-head-start/
Ida Ghaemmaghamfarahani, HDFS Grad Student Spotlight, Dec 2024
Ida Ghaemmaghamfarahani is a first-year PhD student specializing in Adulthood, Aging, and Gerontology under Dr. Keith Bellizzi’s mentorship. Originally from Tehran, Iran, Ida began her academic journey with an engineering degree from the University of Tehran. However, her deep interest in mental health and human behavior led her to pursue a master’s in clinical psychology. There, she explored how stressful life events affect psychological well-being in older adults, focusing on the roles of social isolation and emotion regulation. During her graduate studies, Ida joined the Iranian Research Center on Aging, where she researched cognitive aging and psychometrics, developing skills in assessment and measurement tools for older populations. She also gained clinical experience through a 3-month psycho-oncology observership in the palliative care unit at Firoozgar Hospital, a teaching hospital in Tehran, where she learned about the psychological needs of individuals facing advanced-stage cancer, and a 6-month clinical internship working with individuals with disabilities. These experiences broadened her understanding of therapeutic practices for diverse needs. After completing her master’s, Ida worked as a research assistant at the Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, collaborating with the WHO Collaborating Center for Mental Health in Iran on national suicide prevention projects.
Since moving to the U.S. in 2020, Ida has continued her research journey, working with Protect International Risk and Safety Services Inc. and at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where she now contributes to NIH-funded projects on dementia and caregiving. At UConn, Ida is interested in exploring how chronic illnesses and aging-related challenges affect quality of life in older adults, with a focus on finding insights to support healthy aging and well-being.
Outside of her academic work, Ida enjoys walking her dog, spending time with her husband, and watching documentaries that delve into human behavior and the mind.
HDFS grad students and faculty present at NCFR Conference
Four HDFS faculty and three graduate students will be giving five presentations at the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) conference later this month in Bellevue, Washington. Learn about them here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ubx8DQazSgr21R425puu1h0cVvJE1gpe_EbHBssoEDM/edit?usp=sharing
Katherine Gutierrez presents research poster at Frontiers Exhibition
Undergraduate student Katherine Gutierrez, a sophomore, participated in the Fall Frontiers Poster Exhibition on October 23rd, as part of the SHARE program, which supports undergraduate research projects in the social sciences, humanities, and arts. SHARE is designed especially for students in the earlier stages of their college careers as a means of introducing students to research in their chosen field and of developing skills they will need for further research projects. Katherine presented a poster based on her work with Dr. Sarah Rendón García titled “Platicando Juntos: Mothers Learning How to Talk to Their Children About Immigration.”
UConn Jump Start joins in reading program with HDFS Child Labs
UConn Child Development Labs welcomed members of UConn Jump Start to participate in Read for the Record 2024. The Jumpstart members read the picture book Piper Chen Sings by Phillipa Soo to the preschoolers at Child Labs and engaged the children in conversation about the book. From the Read for the Record website: Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is the world’s largest shared reading experience, celebrating early literacy and supporting children’s early language and social-emotional development. The annual initiative raises awareness of the critical importance of early literacy and access to inclusive, high-quality books through shared reading.