Andrea K. Wittenborn becomes new chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies

Andrea K. Wittenborn, Ph.D., begins her role as the next chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies on August 16, 2024. In addition to being an HDFS professor, Dr. Wittenborn (she/her) was the director of the COAMFTE-accredited Couple and Family Therapy Doctoral Program at Michigan State University. She also holds an appointment in the Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. 

“HDFS is an excellent department focused on translational science that improves the lives of diverse children and families around the world. We produce world-class research and prepare students for meaningful careers in social services, education, health care, policy, and more. I am thrilled to support this impactful work as the new HDFS Department Chair,” she said.

A Spartan since 2014, Dr. Wittenborn has been an active leader in HDFS, serving as Director of Graduate Studies from 2015-2017, Director of the COAMFTE-accredited Couple and Family Therapy Ph.D. program from 2019-2024, and as a member of the HDFS Department Advisory Committee for six years, including one year as chair. In addition, Dr. Wittenborn is an alumna of the Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program.

“While I was Director of Graduate Studies, we built a state-of-the-art research methods and statistics graduate curriculum, designed a welcoming and equitable admissions experience, and increased financial support for graduate students. During my time as Director of the Couple and Family Therapy Ph.D. Program, we developed an exceptional international reputation for intervention research and attracted new faculty leading rigorous programs of research. HDFS has a history of working collaboratively to make ambitious goals a reality, and I’m excited to see what we accomplish together in the next five years,” she said.

In her profession, Dr. Wittenborn served on the Virginia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy from 2012-2014, Michigan Board of Marriage and Family Therapy from 2017-2020, and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Board of Directors from 2020-2022. She was an accreditation site visitor for the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education from 2013-2020. She also served in integral roles for her discipline’s flagship scientific journal, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, including as Associate Editor, Editor of two special issues (2012, 2022), and Chair of the Strategic Planning Task Force (2020-21), among other roles. These leadership positions follow a long history of serving the university, department, and profession in numerous other capacities.

Dr. Wittenborn is also an active scholar.

“My research evaluates the process and outcomes of interventions for depression, including methods for personalizing treatment. I test interventions that target interpersonal mechanisms of depression with the goal of decreasing depressive symptoms and enhancing close relationships,” she said.

Her work has been funded by federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, as well as foundation and intramural awards. She has published numerous articles and book chapters on depression, couple interventions, and research methods. Her peer-reviewed publications have ranked among the top cited and top downloaded articles in her discipline’s flagship scientific journal.

In addition to being recognized for her research, Dr. Wittenborn has been honored for her mentoring of graduate students. She is also a licensed marriage and family therapist and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. Prior to Michigan State University, Dr. Wittenborn was Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech.

As she begins her new role as chair, she is eager to lead HDFS in expanding the workforce to address critical social issues affecting diverse children and families worldwide.

“HDFS is poised to combat today’s evolving societal issues and transform the lives of diverse children and families around the globe. As society faces unprecedented mental health and family challenges, HDFS will work tirelessly to equip more students to be difference makers in their communities,” she said.

She will be taking over as HDFS chair from Adrian Blow, Ph.D., who will be taking a well-deserved sabbatical and then returning from leave to serve as a full-time faculty member in HDFS. He is currently the President-Elect of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy so he will also serve a key leadership role for that organization. 

For more information about the MSU Department of Human Development and Family Studies, visit hdfs.msu.edu.

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By Becky Jensen and Katie Frey