School of Human Ecology
Texture of gray tile on a wall in Nancy Nicholas Hall

AcademicsDepartments

Department of Human Development & Family Studies

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

Degrees Offered

Affiliated Centers & Labs

Partners & Affiliations

Areas of Specialization

  • Black family resilience, Black fatherhood
  • Family financial instability
  • Developmental disabilities and family impacts
  • Parent emotional well-being and relationships
  • Early learning and play in the digital world
  • Family caregiving for ill and elderly relatives
  • Youth obesity and nutrition
  • Health-risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults
  • Parental incarceration impacts on children
  • Ancient therapies to treat depression
  • Romantic relationships across the lifespan
  • Mindfulness and compassion training interventions

Human Development & Family Studies News & Research

Human Development & Family Studies Faculty and Staff

  • A white woman smiling with curly brown hair worn up, wearing a red and blue scarf.

    Claire BarrettAssociate Teaching Professor, Human Development & Family Studies

  • A white woman smiling with medium-length wavy brown hair, wearing a black dress, hoop earrings, and a septum ring.

    Andrea Buhler-WassmannAssistant Professor of Human Development & Family Studies

  • A woman smiling, with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a yellow shirt and necklace.

    Kristy BurkholderTeaching Faculty, Human Development & Family Studies

  • A Black woman, with salt and pepper dreadlocks, wearing glasses and a red dress.

    Janean Dilworth-BartAssociate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Graduate Education | Professor of Human Development & Family Studies

  • A woman smiling, with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a dark V-neck shirt.

    Larissa DuncanElizabeth C. Davies Chair in Child and Family Well-Being | Professor of Human Development & Family Studies

  • A white woman smiling, with brown hair pulled back, wearing a pink shirt.

    Sarah Halpern-MeekinVaughan Bascom Professor of Women, Family and Community | Professor of Human Development & Family Studies

  • A white woman smiling, with shoulder-length light brown hair, wearing a light brown sweater.

    Sigan Hartley100 Women Distinguished Chair in Human Ecology | Professor of Human Development & Family Studies

  • A white woman smiling, with short purple hair, wearing a green shirt.

    Margaret KerrAssociate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies

  • A woman smiling, with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black blazer.

    Heather KirkorianLaura M. Secord Chair in Early Childhood Development | Department Chair and Professor of Human Development & Family Studies | Faculty Director of the Child Development Lab

  • A white woman smiling, with dark blonde hair, wearing a maroon blouse and tan cardigan.

    Polina LevchenkoTeaching Faculty, Human Development & Family Studies

  • A white woman with brown, curly hair, smiling, wearing a blue dress.

    Kristin LitzelmanAssociate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies

  • Dipesh Navsaria dressed in a pink shirt, bow tie and blazer jacket.

    Dipesh NavsariaClinical Professor of Human Development & Family Studies | Outreach Faculty Fellow for the Child Development Lab

  • A man smiling, wearing glasses, a blue collared shirt and a blue sweater.

    Robert NixAudrey Rothermel Bascom Professor | Professor of Human Development & Family Studies

  • A white woman smiling, with dark blond, wavy hair, wearing a black shirt and white pearl necklace.

    Lauren M. PappAssociate Dean for Research | Jane Rafferty Thiele Professor in Human Ecology | Professor of Human Development & Family Studies

  • A Black bald-headed man with eyeglasses wearing a blue and white striped shirt and a blue jacket.

    David J. Pate Jr.Associate Professor of Consumer Science, Human Development & Family Studies | Dean’s Fathers and Fathering Faculty Fellow

  • Portrait of Julie Poehlmann in Nancy Nicholas Hall.

    Julie PoehlmannDorothy A. O'Brien Chair in Human Ecology | Professor of Human Development & Family Studies

  • A black man smiling, with black, curly hair, wearing a gray jacket and white and gray shirt.

    Quentin RiserAssistant Professor of Human Development & Family Studies | Dean’s Equitable Early Lifespan Faculty Fellow

  • Professional headshot of Alvin Thomas at Nancy Nicholas Hall.

    Alvin ThomasAssociate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies | Phyllis Northway Faculty Fellow

  • Professional photo of Amy Lee Wagner in front of 100 Women Wall.

    Amy Lee WagnerExecutive Director of the Child Development Lab