“HDFS is dedicated to ensuring every child has access to high-quality early learning. As the demand for qualified professionals has intensified, our students are rising to the challenge, gaining expertise and hands-on experience at our Child Development Laboratories, and securing in-demand, rewarding positions after graduation,” said Dr. Andrea Wittenborn, professor and chair of MSU HDFS. 

“This research demonstrates that children are learning and interacting with their environments, and even as young as elementary school, are aware of discrimination and are learning adaptive ways to cope and resist,” Dr. Emilie Smith, HDFS professor and research PI. The team of researchers was made up of Dr. Emilie Phillips Smith, Simone E. Bibbs, Dr. Deborah J. Johnson, Dr. Lekie Dwanyen, Dr. Kendal Holtrop and Dr. LaVelle Gipson-Tansil, representing a significant departmental research collaboration.

Dr. Sarah Douglas was selected as a Fulbright Scholar where she will implement training for professionals on alternative communication methods to support children with developmental disabilities. 

“For young children without speech we need partners who know how to best support their use of augmentative or alternative communication – AAC. This includes apps on mobile devices, paper-based symbol systems, or dedicated speech generating devices. These tools help support children, but they only work well when communication partners also know how to support their use,” said Dr. Sarah Douglas, associate professor.

“Reliable, affordable and nurturing childcare is essential for every family. When such care is unavailable outside the family, parents of young children face constant challenges balancing work, caregiving and financial stability. Our work seeks to illuminate these barriers and provide evidence-based insights to guide effective childcare policies and community support systems,” said Dr. Jamie Wu, assistant research professor and  associate director for Community Evaluation Programs at the Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship, University Outreach and Engagement.

The National Hockey League announced Michigan State University Assistant Professor Sarah Dunkel-Jackson as a recipient of the $25,000 Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award for her accessible hockey program: Hockey Challenge Camp. 

“Winning this award for Hockey Challenge Camp is so wonderful because we get to raise awareness for accessible sports programs,” said Dr. Dunkel-Jackson, researcher.

The American Psychological Association (APA) awarded Dr. Deborah Johnson with the APA Fellow distinction with Divisions 7 (Developmental Psychology) and 45 (Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race), an honor bestowed upon APA members who have shown evidence of outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psychology. Fellow status requires that a person's work has had a national impact on the field of psychology beyond a local, state or regional level. 

“We analyzed data from 3,868 children across diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds,” said Dr. Yijie Wang, associate professor. “The use of a large, national dataset enhances the generalizability of the findings, providing valuable insights into pediatric sleep health across the U.S. population.”

Recently, Sandra Westover began her role as an area manager at Northeast Michigan Community Service Association (NEMCSA) Head Start.

“I was able to secure this role in part because of my master’s in family community services from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) at Michigan State University (MSU),” Sandra Westover said.

To celebrate financial literacy month, the MSU Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), teamed up with the MSU Libraries, the MSU Office of Financial Aid, the MSU Transfer Student Success Center and MSUFCU to host a financial literacy event for MSU undergraduates on April 16, 2025 that welcomed close to 200 students.

“Our study is dedicated to addressing the mental health challenges faced by over 3.1 million Southeast Asian refugees in the U.S. by exploring their perspectives on culturally tailored interventions,” Dr. Chi-Fang Tseng, assistant professor. “By focusing on their unique needs and experiences with mental health treatment and delivery, we aim to develop effective interventions that ultimately reduce mental health disparities in their communities."

“I chose HDFS because I am looking to go into the medical field as a physician assistant, and I truly believe that the most helpful physicians are the ones who know about people,” Sophia said. “HDFS was a great way for me to learn all about different life stages, challenges, groups of people, and coping mechanisms,” Sophia Ryan said.

MSU Human Development and Family Studies reaches our 130 year anniversary in 2026, and we'll be celebrating March 10, 2026. Save the date, and keep your eyes out for more information in the new year. 

Are you passionate about the field of human development and family studies or your experiences at MSU and are you considering ways to give back? A gift to our department could be used to help undergraduate and graduate students.