The faculty, students, and staff of the Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) department conduct and apply rigorous research, program evaluation, and policy studies that aim to strengthen the well-being of children, adolescents, adults, and families, and the relationships they share. Ranked among the top programs of its kind, our department is proud to train this field’s next generation of researchers, leaders, and practitioners.

HDFS faculty include interdisciplinary scholars working across research, program, and clinical capacities to address some of the most pressing questions and possibilities in our field.

The School of Human Ecology also supports HDFS research and engagement through two centers housed in its building: the UW Child Development Lab, a child development and early learning program for young children and a teaching and research laboratory for university students and faculty, under faculty director Dr. Heather Kirkorian and executive director Dr. Amy Lee Wagner; and the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies, which hosts the Prenatal to Five Initiative.

Department Chair

Dr. Heather Kirkorian