News & Announcements

  • Dr. Katherine R. Allen, Alumni Spotlight, March 2026
    I graduated from UConn in 1976. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development and Family Relations (now HDFS), with a minor in Sociology. Going to UConn in the mid-1970s was a time of great social change as well as the opportunity to experiment with new ways of pursuing knowledge. I entered college […]
    Posted on February 25, 2026
  • Tochukwu Okolie, Graduate Student Spotlight, March 2026
    Tochukwu (TC) is a first year Ph.D. student in Human Development and Family Sciences, specializing in Adulthood, Aging, and Gerontology. His academic advisor is Dr. Candi Nwakasi. TC earned his Master’s degree in gerontology from Miami University in Ohio and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in social work from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. […]
    Posted on February 25, 2026
  • Isabelle Aragon-Menzel, Graduate Student Spotlight, March 2026
    Isabelle Aragon-Menzel is a first-year PhD student specializing in Health, Wellbeing, and Prevention. Prior to coming to UConn, she earned her Master of Public Health (MPH) at the Colorado School of Public Health on the CU Anshutz Medical Campus, specializing in Population Mental Health and Wellbeing; and earned her BA at Colorado College, majoring in […]
    Posted on February 25, 2026
  • Marianne Legassey, Faculty Spotlight, March 2026
    Marianne Legassey is the Executive Director at the UConn Child Development Labs (CDL).  She started at the CDL as a classroom Master Teacher in 2004.  The dynamic classroom environment and need to manage many tasks simultaneously prepared Marianne for the challenge of being the director at CDL, a role that requires many hats. At the CDL, HDFS Early Childhood […]
    Posted on February 25, 2026
  • Keith Bellizzi interviewed by CT Mirror
    The CT Mirror recently interviewed Keith Bellizzi for their article, “Americans are living longer but spending more years in poor health.”
    Posted on February 6, 2026
  • Shelby Borowski, Alumni Spotlight, February 2026
    Dr. Shelby Borowski graduated from UConn in 2014 with a double major in HDFS and Psychology. During her undergraduate studies, an HDFS Research Methods course first sparked her interest in research, leading her to seek out additional research opportunities in the department. She participated in research examining the quality of life among cancer survivors and […]
    Posted on January 29, 2026
  • Cora D’Alessandro, Faculty Spotlight, February 2026
    Cora’s career in early childhood development and education began at UConn more than 15 years ago and has continued to evolve through a commitment to reflection and growth. She began her college career as a music major at the Hartt School of Music but soon felt called toward a field that would allow her to […]
    Posted on January 29, 2026
  • Zakiya Johnson, Graduate Student Spotlight, February 2026
    Zakiya Johnson is a first-year PhD student specializing in Diversity and Culture and Child and Adolescent Development. Prior to coming to UConn, she graduated magna cum laude with her Bachelors of Science in Psychology and a minor in sociology from Iowa State University. While at Iowa State, Zakiya participated in multiple research labs and projects, […]
    Posted on January 29, 2026
  • Críscila Ramos, Graduate Student Spotlight, February 2026
    Críscila Ramos is a first-year PhD student in the Diversity and Culture specialization. Before joining UConn, she worked as an attorney in Brazil, earned her bachelor’s degree in Law from Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora in Brazil in 2021, including a period of study at the Università Degli Studi di Camerino in Italy. She […]
    Posted on January 29, 2026
  • Angel Reed publishes article in Personality and Individual Differences
    Congratulations to Angel Reed for publishing an article in the journal Personality and Individual Differences! More information available here: Hall, B. T., Rebaldo, T., Geist, A., *Reed, A., & George, D. (2026). Flirting for me or flirting for we? The Dark and Light Triads as predictors of flirting motive. Personality and Individual Differences, 251, 113565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113565
    Posted on January 26, 2026