HDFS Communicator, Summer 2012 - Human Development and ...

HDFSDepartment
of Human Development & Family Studies
Communicator
Summer 2012
www.familystudies.uconn.edu
HDFS Leadership in the
National Council on Family
Relations
The leadership of the Family Therapy Section
of National Council on Family Relations
(NCFR) will have a distinctly UConn flavor over
the next couple of years. HDFS graduate
student Lindsay Edwards has been elected
to serve as the Student/New Professional
Representative, Assistant Professor Rachel
Tambling was elected to serve as the
Secretary/Treasurer, and Assistant Professor
Shayne Anderson was elected to serve as
the Chair-Elect for the Section.
Preschool students hold
sneaker drive - Donations go
to Nike-Reuse-a-Shoe
A preschooler from the Child Development
Labs at UConn came up with an idea to hold a
used sneaker drive. The collected shoes will be
recycled and reused for things such as tennis
courts and playground surfaces. Family and
friends of the students and faculty donated used
shoes to the drive in three large boxes, which
were delivered to the Nike-Reuse-a-Shoe project.
These stories and more HDFS In The News articles at http://familystudies.uconn.edu/news/
Photo by Lainie Hiller
Photo courtesy of UConn Child Development Labs

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT & FAMILY STUDIES ADMINISTRATION -
Department Head, Professor Ronald M. Sabatelli
Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies, Professor JoAnn Robinson
Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Studies, Associate Professor Shannon E. Weaver
Contents
Faculty Updates
Announcements
Selected
Presentations &
Publications
News from our
Centers & Programs
Spotlight on
Students
Alumni News
Events
University of Connecticut
Department of Human
Development & Family Studies
348 Mansfield Road, Unit 1058
Storrs, CT 06269-1058
Phone: 860.486.4720
FAX: 860.486.3452
www.familystudies.uconn.edu
FACULTY
UPDATES
Professor Stephen Anderson received fudning for an Evaluation of
Effective School Staff Interactions with Students and Police Conn.
Office of Policy & Management, $90,000, 5/12-9/13.
Associate Professor Keith Bellizzi was invited to serve as a cochair
of the cancer survivorship committee of the Connecticut
Cancer Partnership. Funded by the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention. the Connecticut Cancer Partnership is a broad and
diverse coalition of individuals and organizations representing
stakeholders in Connecticut’s cancer community. Its overall goal is
to reduce the burden of cancer (incidence, morbidity, mortality, and
disability) and to improve the quality of life of people with cancer in
Connecticut.
Also, Keith was invited by CT Challenge to join their Medical
Advisory Board. The mission of CT Challenge is to empower cancer survivors to live
healthier, happier and longer lives.
In his third and final year on the Committee on Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) of
the American Psychological Association, Professor Preston
Britner is serving as Co-Chair of the Committee.
Professor Britner, co-chair of UConn’s Public Engagement
Forum, discusses the University’s advances with respect to
engaged scholarship, service-learning pedagogy, and sustained
community programs and partnerships, in this interview at the
Eastern Region Campus Compact conference (Oct. 27-28, 2011,
New York City): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWYgeK72NUw.
Brit had two of his photographs selected to be in the UConn
Alumni Association’s Life Member calendar for 2012. Brit’s photo of the Avery Point
coastline (from offshore) is the image for July, and his Veterans’ Memorial photo is the
image for November.
Also, Professor Britner will serve as Chair of the Advisory Board, Institute for
Teaching & Learning, and Chair, Faculty Standards Committee, University Senate. He
was also elected to another term as Member-at-Large for the UConn AAUP chapter.

Assistant Professors Edna Brown and Shevon Harvey were awarded a Large Faculty Grant proposal by
the University of Connecticut ($19,066). Their project is entitled “A Focus Group Pilot Study to Examine How
Religious Beliefs and Social Relationships May Hamper or Enhance Health Promotion Behaviors Among
African American Breast and Cervical Cancer
Survivors”.
Edna was also part of the collaborative group from HDFS, with Co-Investigators Kari Adamsons,
Ph.D.; Marysol Asencio, Ph.D.; Keith Bellizzi, Ph.D.; Thomas Blank Ph.D participating in the Innovative
Education in Health and Society: HDFS Educational Program in Research on Social Aspects of Health. This
is an Alan R. Bennett sponsored educational program that address social aspects of human health, focused on the synergy
between teaching and research ($50,000).
Assistant Professor Annamaria Csizmadia and HDFS undergraduate student Gabrielle Phillips have been
selected to receive a 2012 UConn Social Science, Humanities, and Arts Research Experience (SHARE)
award. The SHARE award provides a $500 professional development stipend for the faculty mentor and a
$1,500 research stipend to support Ms. Phillips’ involvement in a research project. See page 16 for further
information.
Associate Professor Anne Farrell and Professor Preston Britner entered into fee-for-service agreements
($61,000 in 2011, and $82,000 in 2012) with The Connection, Inc., a private non-profit located in Middletown,
CT and operating statewide, to continue program evaluation and technical assistance. This work involves the
development and validation of tools to assess risk among families in the child welfare system and means to
assess the effectiveness of therapeutic supports for children in foster care. The aim of these services is to
enable prompt, efficient, and responsive services for children and families. Graduate students Samantha
Goodrich, Kellie Randall, and Andrew Rose contribute to this project.
Also, Anne entered into a fee-for-service agreement ($38,272) with the Capital Region Education Council
(CREC) for continuing efforts to embed elements of positive behavior interventions and supports in afterschool
programs in CT. Graduate students Kellie Randall and Melissa Collier-Meek currently contribute to this project.
In June, Anne served as a grant reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute for Disability and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Field Initiated Research Projects.
Assistant Professor I. Shevon Harvey was awarded a pilot study by the National Institute on Minority Health
and Health Disparities: Caribbean Exploratory NCMHD Research Center. Her project is entitled, “Social
Relationships and Health Practices among Women in the US Virgin Islands: A Pilot Qualitative Study.”
In addition, Shevon was recently elected as a Member Scholar in the International Institute for Qualitative
Methodology (IIQM). Member Scholars serve as advocates for IIQM activities world-wide as part of an
international network of scholars committed to excellence in qualitative research.
Professor JoAnn Robinson, Anne Farrell, and Preston Britner are providing the Meriden Family Zone with
consultation and evaluation expertise through a service agreement with the Center for Applied Research in
Human Development (CARHD). The Meriden Family Zone, led by Meriden Children First, brings together the
Meriden Public Schools, the local community, and over 50 Meriden, regional and statewide organizations to
improve educational and life outcomes for families and children residing in the Zone. The U.S. Department of
Education recognized Meriden’s potential to address these challenges by awarding the Children First Initiative
a $465,600 Promise Neighborhood Planning Grant. Meriden was one of just 15 communities to receive the
grant out of 200 that applied.
Also, JoAnn Robinson and graduate student Hannah Mudrick are working with EASTCONN, Inc
through the CARHD to provide a rigorous multi-year evaluation of Scaffolding Early Learning, a professional development
approach for early childhood teachers that is based on the national Tools of the Mind model.
In March, HDFS Professor and Department Head Ronald Sabatelli participated in an on-line webinar. Ron
brought his experience and research knowledge to an interactive presentation about women and the
economy. Overlapping with challenges and solutions discussed in this year’s UConn Reads selection, Half
the Sky the presentation was an exciting opportunity for all participants to learn more about the impact
women have on a national and international economy.
2

3
Professor Steven Wisensale was a guest on Wayne Norman’s radio show on WILI in Willimantic, CT on
May 10 th , in which he discussed baseball and American culture.
Steve was also an Invited Panelist for “Baseball in the University Curriculum” for the opening plenary
panel at the Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, May 30 th , in Cooperstown, NY.
In May, an article was published in UConn Today about Steve’s new baseball course “Baseball and
Society: Politics, Economics, Race, and Gender. Read the article at http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2012/04/aswing-and-a-hit-students-flock-to-new-class-on-baseball-and-society/#.T4gu4Fvxwwo.email
HDFS welcomes new faculty!
Post-doctoral fellow Alyssa Banford joined HDFS after spending the past two years at Texas Tech
University where she received her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy. Alyssa’s research interests
and projects focus on natural disasters, domestic violence, clinical outcomes and medical family
therapy. Alyssa is currently teaching the graduate course HDFS 5754: Marriage Therapy and in the
coming semester will be teaching graduate courses HDFS 5762: Practicum in Marriage and Family
Therapy as well as HDFS 5759: Case Seminar in MFT (Self of the Therapist). Alyssa enjoys reading,
watching movies, running, and spending time with friends and family.
Assistant Professor Alaina Brenick joined HDFS after spending the past two years as a postdoctoral
research fellow at the Graduate School for Human Behaviour in Social and Economic
Change at Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Germany. Alaina completed her doctorate in the
Department of Human Development with a specialization in developmental sciences at the University
of Maryland. Trained as a social developmental psychologist, her research focuses on social identity
and stereotypic expectations and attitudes regarding intergroup exclusion and discrimination across
contexts, cultures, and conflicts, as well as the influence of media on social judgments and
intergroup attitudes. Her research objectives include understanding how and why youth evaluate
moral transgressions such as prejudice based exclusion, discrimination, denial of opportunity and
resources, and intergroup conflict in hopes of identifying the most appropriate and effective
approaches to facilitate positive intergroup relations and peaceful coexistence.
Alaina is an avid knitter and crocheter and loves hiking, traveling, and watching documentaries.
Assistant Professor Idethia Shevon Harvey joined the HDFS faculty last fall from the University of
Illinois. Dr. Harvey received her doctoral degree in public health from the University of Pittsburgh, and
is a public health gerontologist with an emphasis on ethnogerontology. Shevon investigates the
effect of social support and social networks in health behavioral changes among baby boomers and
older adults. Initially focusing on ethnic elders’ health behaviors, more recently she has developed a
transcultural public health intervention to examine how social relationships are linked to selfmanagement
practices in rural Illinois. She contrasts sociocultural factors (e.g., interactions
between individuals with other individuals, groups or communities) with structural factors (e.g.,
interactions of individuals with their environment) as it pertains to behavioral management of obesity
related co-morbidities through physical activity. Shevon has a 1-year-old “doggie-child” miniature
poodle name Dakoda Sebastian.
Assistant Professor Beth Russell joined HDFS after five years on the tenure track faculty at
Worcester State University. Beth completed her master’s and doctoral studies at UConn in our own
Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Her research interests include parenting
and family interventions, emotion regulation (from impulsivity to coping), and intervention science with
a focus on child abuse prevention. Beth’s most recent and current work involves parenting influences
on the development of impulsivity in preschoolers and – in a separate study – the relationship
between impulsivity and substance use in adolescence. This spring she taught the undergraduate
courses HDFS 1060: Close Relationships Across the Lifespan, and HDFS 3103: Adolescent
Development. In the fall she will teach the graduate course HDFS 5342: Parent Education.
Beth is originally from Colorado and moved to New England where she received her undergraduate
degree with a double major in Comparative Literature and the Medical Sciences from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA.
Beth loves music of all sorts, sculpting and painting, and considers herself an expert in making the perfect strawberry ice
cream.

HDFS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sara Harkness selected as Jefferson Science Fellow
Sara Harkness, professor of human development and family studies, and David Benson, professor and
department head of molecular and cell biology, were selected in a competitive process to provide science
expertise for policymakers, to help them understand complex scientific issues and how they affect U.S.
foreign policy.
Harkness is also a professor of pediatrics and public health at the UConn Health Center and
director of the Center for the Study of Culture, Health, and Human Development. Her research focuses on
how cultural influences, interacting with genetic predispositions, influence children’s health and learning.
Benson is a microbiologist. Both will range beyond their own fields of expertise, however. Jefferson
Fellows are chosen for their stature, international recognition, and ability to quickly understand and
articulate scientific developments outside their field. Read more of this article in UConn Today, April 4 th .
Retirements and Transitions
The busy end of the academic year brought with it several opportunities to recognize and celebrate several transitions for HDFS
faculty and staff. Most have served at UConn for many years, and all have contributed in significant ways to HDFS.
Retiring members of the Department include Associate Professor Katherine Brophy, Humphrey Clinic Director Doris
LaPlante, and Professor Edna McBreen. Staff member Lainie Hiller, who supported the Department and most recently the
Humphrey Clinic, is moving to Minnesota. Assistant Research Professor and Assistant Director of the Center for Applied Research
in Human Devleopment Eujnu Jung is also moving. Associate Professor Anita Garey, who also directed the successful HDFS
honors program, is taking a leave and moving to California. Professor Steve Anderson will retire from his faculty position and his
role as Director of the MFT program, as of September 1 st , 2012, but he will continue to direct the Center for Applied Research in
Human Development.
We extend our congratulations to Marysol Asencio who has been promoted to Full Professor, and also to Keith Bellizzi
who has been awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor!
We wish these friends and colleagues all the best in the next stages of their lives.
Evelyn Anne Edwards
was born August 21 st ,
2011 to HDFS
graduate student
Lindsay Edwards,
and her husband
Mathew Edwards.
At four and a
half months, Evelyn is
currently working on
pushing herself up on her hands and legs while mommy
works on her dissertation proposal. Both are making slow
and steady progress at their respective tasks.
HDFS alumni
Tatiana Melendez-
Rhodes and her
husband Rick
Rhodes announce
the birth of their
child, Aidan Bryan
Rhodes, on August
9 th , 2011 in Surco,
Lima-Peru.
At birth Aidan weighed 7 lbs, 6 oz; and was 20 inches
long.
Photo by Sassy Mouth Photography
Photo by Daniel Buttrey/UConn
HDFS Associate Professor Nancy
Sheehan is pleased to announce the
birth of her grandson Matthew, who
was born on May 26 th , 2012.
HDFS graduate student
Kellie Randall was married
to Tom Cwikla on June 29 th ,
2012.
The ceremeony took
place at Saltwater Farm
Vineyard in Stonington, CT.
The couple will cruise to
Alaska for their honeymoon in
August .
4

SELECTED
PRESENTATIONS
Pictured left to right- Elizabeth Tagg,
and Steven Schmidt.
Bellizzi, K. M., Schmidt, S. D., Tagg, E., Lafemina, L., Colpitts, K. & Salner, A. (2011,
October). Individual and Family Factors Associated with Quality of Life in Survivors of
Colorectal Cancer. Poster presented at the Connecticut Cancer Partnership’s 8th Annual
Meeting, Orange, CT.
Bellizzi, K.M. (2011, November). Prevalence and correlates of cancer screening in older
racially diverse adults: Still screening after all these years. Paper presented at the 2011
Gerontological Society of America’s Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston, MA.
Bellizzi, K.M. (2011, November). Prevalence of lifestyle behaviors in older adults with cancer.
Invited Chair, Symposium presented at the 2011 Gerontological Society of America’s Annual
Scientific Meeting, Boston, MA.
Bellizzi, K. M., Smith, A., Schmidt, S. D., Keegan, T., Zebrack, B., Lynch, C., Deapen, D., Shnorhavorian, M., & AYA HOPE
Study Collaborative Group (2012, February). Positive and negative life impact of being diagnosed with cancer as an adolescent or
young adult. Podium presentation at the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) annual meeting, Miami, FL.
Bellizzi, K. M., Schmidt, S. D., Tagg, E., Colpitts, K. & Salner, A. L. (2012, April). Individual and family factors associated with
quality of life in survivors of colorectal cancer. Poster presented at the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine
(SBM), New Orleans, LA.
Blank, T. O. (2012, April). Cancer from Two Sides Now. Presentation at Colleges vs. Cancer: Paint the Campus Purple student
event at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.
Britner, P. A. (2011, November). Integrating public engagement with research and teaching. Invited panel presentation, as part of a
faculty development workshop, Finding Equilibrium: Balancing Life, Teaching, and Research and Having Fun, Too! College of Liberal
Arts & Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs.
Britner, P. A., & Parks, C. A. (2011, August). Public engagement. Invited talk (brief) delivered as part of new faculty orientation,
University of Connecticut, Storrs.
Brown, E., Birditt, K., Huff, S., Edwards, L. (2012, June). Marital Dissolution and Psychological Well Being: Race and Gender
Differences in the Moderating Role of Marital Relationship Quality Till Death do us Part: Contexts and Implications of Marriage,
Divorce, and Remarriage across Adulthood. Invited Webinar Presentation for Society for the Study of Human Development.
Collier-Meek, M.A., Randall, K.G., Saxena, M., & Farrell, A.F. (2011, August). Realigning afterschool program goals and
objectives: A data-based approach. Poster presented at the 119 th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association,
Washington, DC.
Farrell, A.F., & Collier-Meek, M.A. (2012, May). Changing the climate of afterschool programs. Address provided to the
Connecticut Afterschool Partnership.
Farrell, A.F., Collier-Meek, M.A., & Pons, S. (2012, March). Embedding Components of PBIS in Afterschool Programs. Workshop
presented at the Association for Positive Behavior Supports International Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Farrell, A.F. (2012, May). Promises to Keep. Keynote address presented to Richmond Community Services, Professional
Development Program, Ridgefield, CT.
Farrell, A.F., Pons, S., & Rigano, S. (2011, October). Positive climate in afterschool programs. Colloquium presented at the
University of Connecticut, Stamford, CT.
Goodrich, S. A., Britner, P. A., & Farrell, A. F. (2011, August). Professional foster parents’ stress, engagement, and perceptions
of services. Poster presented at the 119 th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
Harvey, I. S., Green, H. D., & Shurko, M., Hudson, D., White, M. (2011, November). Geo-Narrative: Understanding the role of
place and social support in the self-management of chronic conditions among African American women. Poster presented at the
2011 Gerontological Society of America’s Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston, MA.
5

Harvey, I. S. (2011, October). Pathways through which social support influences selfmanagement
practices among mid- to late-life African American women. Poster presented at
the 139 th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Public Health Association, Washington,
DC.
Harvey, I. S., Green, H. D., & Shurko, M. (2011, October). Where I live affects how I live:
Social and physical environments of chronic conditions among older residents in a small-town
senior apartment. Poster presented at 4 th Annual Caribbean Exploratory (NCMHD) Research
Center of Excellence, St. Thomas,Virgin Island.
Kappus, R. M., Ranadive, S. M., Yan, H., Lane, A. D., Cook, M. D., Hall, G., Harvey, I. S.,
Scott, Q., Wilund, K., Woods, J. A., Fernhall, B. (2011, June). End systolic pressure changes
following an acute bout of exercise in African Americans and Caucasians. Research poster presented at 58 th Annual Meeting at the
American College of Sports Medicine, Denver, CO.
Huff, S., Edwards, L., & Anderson, S.R. (2011, September). Training in Assessment: Contributions to Student’s Attitudes.
Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Fort Worth, TX.
Khaleque, A. (2011, July). Relationships between perceived parental hostility and aggression and children’s psychological
maladjustment and negative personality dispositions: A meta-analytic review of worldwide cross-cultural studies. Accepted for
presentation at the 4 th National Research Conference on Child and Family Programs and Policy, Bridgewater, MA.
Khaleque, A., & Rohner, R. P. (2012, February). Effects of multiple acceptance and rejection on children’s psychological
adjustment: A multi-cultural study. Presentation at the 41 st Annual Meeting of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research, Las Vegas,
NV.
Ki, P., Wong, A. G., & Brown, E. (2012, April). Social support of cancer survivors and their family. Poster presented at the
Conference of the Connecticut Division of American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, Mystic, CT.
Moore, L. & Tambling, R. B. (2011, November). Effect of distress, referral source, and pressure to attend therapy on motivation to
change. Poster accepted for presentation at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
Perumbilly, S. & Anderson, S.A. (2011, September). Role of Family in Addiction Treatment: Indian Perspectives. Poster
presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Fort Worth, TX.
Perumbilly, S. & Anderson, S.A. (2011, September). Addiction Treatment in India: Innovative Perspectives. Poster presented at
the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Fort Worth, TX.
Randall, K.G., Collier-Meek, M.A., Saxena, M., & Farrell, A.F. (2011, August). Quality of program and research design in
afterschool programs: A systematic review of the literature. Poster presented at the 119 th Annual Convention of the American
Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
Deans, T., Reiss, A., Miller, M., & Schmidt, S. D. (2012, March). What can come of one-time WAC/WID orientations? Workshop
at the We Say/They Say: A Writing in the Disciplines Symposium, Hamden, CT.
Sheehan, N. W. & Garcia, E. (2011, November). Social interaction and social activity among residents in affordable assisted
living. Poster presented at the 2011 Gerontological Society of America’s Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston, MA.
Tambling, R. B. & Johnson, L. N. (2011, November). Exploratory factor analysis of the URICA
among couple therapy clients. Poster accepted for presentation at the National Council on
Family Relations Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
Wong, A.G., & Blumenfeld, H. (2011, October). Cross disciplinary training of a family medicine
resident and a family therapy intern. Presentation at the annual meeting of the Collaborative
Family Healthcare Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Wong, A.G., Thurston, K.R., Tambling, R.B., & Anderson, S.R. (2011 September). Treatment
experience of soft mandated vs. voluntary clients. Poster presented at the annual meeting of
the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Fort Worth, TX.
Thurston, K.R., Wong, A.G., Tambling, R.B., & Anderson, S.R. (2011, September). Who initiated termination and therapeutic
outcome. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Fort Worth, TX.
6

7
SELECTED
PUBLICATIONS
Anderson, S. A., Sanderson, J., & Kosutic, I. (2011). Therapist Use-of-Self Orientations Questionnaire: A Reliability
and Validity Study. Contemporary Family Therapy, 33, 364-383.
Bellizzi, K. M. & Blank, T. O. (2011). Post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth in cancer survivors. In J.L.
Lester & P. Schmitt (Eds.), Cancer Rehabilitation and Survivorship: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Personalized Care,
Pittsburg, PA: Oncology Nursing Society
Beckjord. E., Arora N. K., Bellizzi, K. M. & Rowland J. H. (2011). Sexual function in survivors of non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma (NHL). Oncology Nursing Society, 38, E351-E359.
Bellizzi, K .M., Breslau, E., Burness, A., & Waldron, W. (2011) Prevalence and correlates of cancer screening in older
racially diverse adults: Still screening after all these years. Archives of Internal Medicine, 171, 1-7.
Blank, T. O., Asencio, M., & Descartes, L. (2012). Issues in the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
people in couple and family therapy. In Bigner, J., & Wetchler, J. L. (eds.), Handbook of LGBT-affirmative couple and
family therapy. New York: Routledge, pp. 299-312.
Blank, T. O., & Schmidt, S. D. (2012). Chapter 58: Cyber support venues for cancer. In Yan, Z. (ed.), Encyclopedia of
cyber behavior. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, pp. 689-698.
Brenick, A., Titzmann, P., Michel, A., & Silbereisen, R. K. (2012). Perceptions of discrimination by young Diaspora
migrants: Individual and school-level associations among adolescent ethnic German immigrants. European Psychologist,
17, 105-119.
Brenick, A. & Silbereisen, R. K. (2012). Leaving (for) home: Understanding return migration from the Diaspora. European
Psychologist, 17, 85-92.
Kearney, J., Britner, P. A., Farrell, A. F., & Robinson, J. (2011). Mothers’ resolution of their young children’s
psychiatric diagnoses: Associations with child, parent, and relationship characteristics. Child Psychiatry and Human
Development, 42(3), 334-348.
Brown, E., Birditt, K. S., Huff, C., & Edwards, L. L. (2012). Marital dissolution and psychological well being: Race and
gender differences in the moderating role of marital relationship quality. Research in Human Development, 9(2), 145–
164, (ID: 681202 DOI:10.1080/15427609.2012.681202).
Birditt, K. L., Hope, S., Brown, E., Orbuch, T. L. (2012) Developmental trajectories of marital happiness over 16 years.
Research in Human Development 9(2), 126 144 (ID: 681202 DOI:10.1080/15427609.2012.680844).
Pitner, R., Yu, M. S., & Brown, E. (2012). Making neighborhoods safer: Examining predictors of residents’ concerns
about neighborhood safety. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 32 (1), 43-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2011.09.003.
Pitner, R., Yu, M. S., & Brown, E. (2011) Exploring the dynamics of middle aged and older adult residents’ perceptions
of neighborhood safety. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 54(5), 511–527. DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2011.567322.
Farrell, A. F., & Myers, D.M. (2011). Collaboration in the service of better systems for youth. In F. Sherman & F. Jacobs
(Eds.), Juvenile justice: Advancing research, policy, and practice. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley & Sons.
Farrell, A. F., Lujan, M., Britner, P. A., Randall, K., & Goodrich, S. (2012). “I am part of every decision”: Client
perceptions of engagement within a supportive housing child welfare programme. Child and Family Social Work, 17(2),
254–264.

`
Accardo, P., Whitman, B., Accardo, J., Bodurtha, J.N., Farrell, A., Goelz, T., Morrow-Gorton, J., Rice, G.B., & Smith, G.,
Eds. (2011). Dictionary of developmental disabilities terminology, Third edition. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishers.
Freyre-Calish, G., & Farrell, A.F. (2011). Routes to successful inclusion for children of all abilities ages birth to five. Web
toolkit for caregivers of children birth to age five. Available at: http://www.uconnucedd.org/.
Harkness, S., Zylicz, P. O., Super, C. M., Welles-Nyström, B., Ríos Bermúdez, M., Bonichini, S., Moscardino, U., &
Mavridis, C. J. (2011). Children’s activities and their meanings for parents: A mixed-methods study in six Western cultures.
Journal of Family Psychology, 25(6), 799-813.
Son, J. S., Shinew, K. J., & Harvey. I. S. (2011). Community leaders’ readiness for a leisure-based health promotion
program: Findings from an underserved racially diverse rural community. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration,
29(2), 60-70.
Harvey, I. S., & Alston, R. J. (2011). Understanding preventive behaviors among Mid-Western African American men: A pilot
qualitative study of prostate screening SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1. Journal of Men’s Health, 8(2), 140-151.
Khaleque, A., & Rohner, R. P. (2011). Pancultural associations between perceived parental acceptance and psychological
adjustment of children and adults: A metal analytic review of worldwide research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology;
republished April 29, 2011; DOI 10.1177/0022022111406120.
Khaleque, A., & Rohner, R. P. (2011). Transcultural relations between perceived parental acceptance and personality
dispositions of children and adults: A meta-analytic review. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 15, 1-13.
Khaleque, A., Shirin, A., & Uddin, M.K. (2011). Attachment relationships and psychological adjustment of married adults.
Social Indicators Research (Online First), (DOI): 10.1007/s11205-011-9926-2.
Khaleque, A. (2011). An overview of the effects of divorce on culture and society within Bangladesh. In R. E. Emery (Ed.),
Cultural sociology of divorce: An encyclopedia. Los Angeles: Sage Reference.
Khaleque, A. (2012). Adult Intimate Relationships and Psychological Adjustment. Psychological Studies, vol. 57(1), 95–
100.
Khaleque, A. (2012). Perceived parental warmth and affection, and children’s psychological adjustment, and personality
dispositions: A meta-analysis. Journal of Child and Family Studies. (Online First), DOI: 10.1007/s10826-012-9579-z.
Rigazio-DiGilio, S. A., & Ki, P. (2012). Resilience Relative to Korean Families.Chapter in D. S. Becvar (Ed). Handbook of
Family Resilience. Springer Publishing.
Friedman, N.P., Miyaki, A., Robinson, J. L. & Hewitt, J.K. (2011). Developmental trajectories in toddlers’ self-restraint predict
individual differences in executive functions 14 years later: A behavioral genetic analysis. Developmental Psychology, 47,
1410-1430.
Russell, B. S., Goodrich, S. A., & Britner, P. A. (2011). Preventing child maltreatment and promoting healthy interactions.
National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Report, 56(2), F23-F24.
Super, C. M., Harkness, S., Barry, O., & Zeitlin, M. (2011). Think locally, act globally: Contributions of African research to
child development. Child Development Perspectives 5(2), 119-125.
Wisensale, S. (2012). Paid Leave Policy in the United States: A Comparative Study of Successful Initiatives in California,
New Jersey, and Washington. In M. Paludi (Ed.) Managing Diversity in Today’s Workplace. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
8

NEWS FROM OUR
9
CENTERS & PROGRAMS
BENNETT EDUCATION IN HEALTH AND SOCIETY TRAINING INITIATIVE (BEST)
In Spring of 2011, a team of HDFS faculty including Edna Brown (Principal Investigator), Marysol Asencio, Keith Bellizzi,
Thomas Blank, Anita Garey, and Nancy Sheehan responded to a call for proposals for a new endeavor within the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) for development of innovative projects to immerse undergraduate students in an active
research environment working closely with faculty and graduate students. The proposal was so well received that in June the
HDFS Bennett Education in Health and Society Training Initiative (BEST) Undergraduate Research Training Program was
awarded a grant for $50,000 by Alan R. Bennett, through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). As Dean
Teitelbaum noted in his congratulatory email, this was the only grant awarded in a very competitive program.
The year-long initiative builds upon ongoing scholarly activities to provide an innovative educational program in which
undergraduate students develop their critical thinking abilities by participating on research teams with faculty and graduate
students working on health-related projects. The initiative involves a core team of faculty with backgrounds in public health,
epidemiology, developmental psychology, social work, social psychology, sociology, and human development and family
studies. This team approach to promote synergy between teaching and health-related research complements current HDFS
approaches that involve undergraduate students in the research process, such as research practica with individual faculty
and individual Honors Scholars’ thesis projects.
Undergraduate students are now working closely in smaller groups with one or two faculty members and a graduate
student from one of several available ongoing health-related research projects. Each student will be part of a project tailored
to developing their own research ideas. They will then have the opportunity to translate what they have learned by
disseminating research results to students in lower division courses, university level forums and possibly at local and
national conferences.
An integral component of the proposed initiative is a spring 2012 team-taught weekly seminar to provide all the
participating upper level undergraduate students with a comprehensive practical learning experience that focuses on the
theoretical, methodological, and analytical issues in conducting health-related research from the beginning of the research
endeavor to the dissemination stage.
Current faculty includes Kari Adamsons, Ph.D., Marysol Asencio, Dr. P.H., Keith Bellizzi, Ph.D., Thomas
Blank, Ph.D., Edna Brown, Ph.D., Beth Russell, Ph.D., Rachel Tambling, Ph.D., and Nancy Sheehan, Ph.D.
Doctoral graduate students involved in the program are Cammy Froude, Alison Wong, Victoria McDougal from HDFS,
and Gabriel Byer-Alcorace (Educational Psychology).
There are currently 14 undergraduate junior and senior students enrolled in the BEST program. Students’ average
overall grade point average is 3.5 and average major grade point average is 3.7. Academic majors include: human
development and family studies, psychology, molecular and cell biology, individualized studies, physiology, neurobiology,
pharmacy, allied health, biological sciences, and political science.
THE CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (CARHD)
This semester the Center provided support to a very talented group of graduate research assistants that included Samantha
Goodrich, Julie Griggs, Sara Johnson, Brandyn McKinley, Hannah Mudrick, and Kellie Randall. They have been
working on a variety of projects including a state-wide evaluation of after school programs, an evaluation of innovative strategies
to enhance school attendance, assessment of a program intended to reduce in-school arrests of youth, and a new project that
will study the prevalence of “cross-over youth” in Connecticut. These are youth who are concurrently involved in the Department
of Children and Families and the Juvenile Justice System.
The Center also helps to facilitate the efforts of other HDFS faculty who are engaged in service and outreach to
Connecticut communities and agencies. HDFS Department Head Ron Sabatelli has been integrally involved in the projects
noted above. Anne Farrell and Preston Britner have been engaged in a multi-year project with The Connection Inc, to develop
and evaluate innovative programs such as one that offers supportive housing to children in the child welfare system and their
families and another that provides professional foster care to severely at-risk children in the child welfare system. Anne Farrell
also has a multi-year agreement with the State Department of Education to provide, training, consultation, and evaluation of
positive behavioral support interventions in state-funded after school programs. JoAnn Robinson has several agreements with

EASTCONN to provide consultation and evaluation of Early Head Start in-home services (EHS Expansion Project) and
classroom interventions (Scaffolding Early Learners Project). Finally, Beth Russell has a new project working with Village for
Families & Children that will provide consultation, analysis of existing data, and publication assistance for the Adolescent
Family Life Project.
As these various activities indicate, the Center continues to be actively engaged in the state providing expertise and
evaluation support in a variety of contexts.
THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF CULTURE, HEALTH, AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (CHHD)
The first semester of the 2011-2012 academic year was a busy one
for the CHHD on all fronts, from research, service, and outreach to
grants and publications.
Thirteen undergraduate and graduate assistants were
trained and carried out thematic analysis of interviews (using a new
software program called Dedoose), as well as coding video-taped
naturalistic observations of families in ‘real time’ using the Observer
program, for the International Study of Parents, Children, and
Schools (ISPCS), and the International Baby Study (IBS).
Participating were: Asia Boxton, Stefanie Clark, Jennifer De Rico,
New Grant:
2011-2014 Family Development Training:
Effects on Agency Culture and Client
Experience. Charles M. Super and Sara
Harkness. State of Connecticut Department
of Social Services. Total award: $160,000.
Jessica Dimock, Alixe Dittmore, Jalel Hadj-Salem, Pamela Herrera, Amanda Holesinger, Alessandra Petrino, Purvi Rana,
Dimietris Thompson, Roshani Vanmali, and Lars Leschke, a visiting scholar from Germany. The UConn students hailed from
six different departments: Communication Sciences, Education, English, HDFS, Psychology, and Sociology. This work
continued during the spring semester.
As part of their ongoing program of research with the Connecticut Children’s Trust Fund, the CHHD research team is
finishing the final wave of data collection for a study of the effects of Family Development Training on the culture and climate
of several community action agencies in Connecticut. The Center was recently awarded a new grant from the Connecticut
Children’s Trust Fund for ongoing work on this topic.
Professors Sara Harkness and Charles (Charlie) Super traveled to the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, to
plan a pilot project under the direction of Professor Paul Leseman, with the assistance of his doctoral student Saskia van
Schaik. Saskia and her colleague Margreet de Looze (now also a doctoral student at the Utrecht University) previously
spent a summer at the CHHD analyzing mothers’ interviews from the IBS, with a focus on mothers’ ideas related to getting
the baby on a regular schedule. The new project will build from the IBS, looking at ideas and practices in several Dutch and
U.S. daycare centers.
In November, Sara accepted an appointment as Editor of the Newsletter of the Temperament Consortium (TC). The
TC is an international network of researchers and clinicians who use concepts and measures of temperament in their work.
Caroline Mavridis will work with Sara as Managing Editor of the newsletter.
Sara continued her duties as a regular member of the grant review panel (study section) for Health Care Research
Training, within the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a unit of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Closer to home, Sara provided consultation to Dr. Michelle Cloutier and colleagues at the Connecticut Children’s
Medical Center and UConn for a research proposal to the NIH on the prevention of obesity in infancy. In October, Charlie
presented Pediatric Grand Rounds at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
In collaboration with the UConn School of Business, CHHD co-sponsored a colloquium by Dr. Piotr Olaf Zylicz, Vice
President of the Polish Foundation for Management Research and a member of the faculty of the Warsaw Advanced School
of Social Sciences and Humanities. Delivered at the Center for International Business Education and
Research, Dr. Zylics’s talk was titled “Entrepreneurial leadership in post-communist Poland.” Dr.
Zylicz also leads the Polish research team for the ISPCS.
Postdoctoral fellow Caroline Mavridis and CHHD affiliate Eleni Fatsis recently finished cofacilitating
a 90-hour Family Development Credential course for frontline workers at the Access
Agency in Willimantic. With a colleague from the Children’s Trust Fund, Caroline also provided
training for new facilitators of the Family Development Credential for Leaders program; the sessions
were held at the CRT community action agency in Hartford Caroline.
In October, Charles Super (pictured left) and Sara Harkness participated in graduation
ceremonies for over 100 front-line family workers in New York City who completed their Family
Development Training. The ceremonies were held at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
10

11
THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT LABORATORIES (CDL)
It has been busy at the Child Labs. All of the CDL staff and ECDE faculty were trained in the “ACT/Parents Raising Safe Kids”
program in August. The training was led by Howie Baker of Brandeis University and HDFS Assistant Professor Kari Adamsons.
It was a very intense and thought-provoking training and aspects of it will be integrated in coursework for ECDE students and
workshops with parents.
The CDL will continue its work with the “I am Moving, I am Learning” initiative. Yoga is integrated into the classroom
curriculum, even in the Infant Center. The toddlers and preschoolers have “Yoga Buddies” together each week and focused
movement experiences are happening throughout the day and week in all of the classrooms. The CDL are looking forward to
spring time and planting their new raised beds!
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION
On May 17, the Board of Regents approved our Department’s Early Childhood Development and Education concentration to
award undergraduate students completing the concentration the Early Childhood Teacher Credential (ECTC). The program
review was a 15-month-long process by the State Department of Education that began in February of 2011 and was
completed in May, 2012. The newly created Early Childhood Teacher Credential meets the State requirement for teacher
competencies within the CT School Readiness pre-kg program and the Head Start system.
ROHNER CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF INTERPERSONAL ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION
As part of its research and outreach mission, staff of the Center often make international
presentations about interpersonal acceptance-rejection. Apropos of that, Ronald and
Nancy Rohner were hosted by the Department of Psychology at the University of the
Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. There Ronald gave lectures on the “Benefits of Affection
Given and Affection Received: Cross-Cultural Evidence,” “Parental Power-Prestige and
the Influence of Father Love,” and “Essentials of Parenting.”
Hosting the Rohners were Professors Karen Ripoll, Ph.D. (HDFS alumnus)
and Sonia Carrillo, shown at right with their research group on Affective Relationships
Across the Lifespan. Ronald serves as an international research colleague to this group,
which is registered with the Colombian Department of Education Office for the
Advancement of Research. Thesis and dissertation topics discussed at the meeting of
the research group included “Rejection Sensitivity in Relation to Intimate Adult
Relationships and Marital Conflict;” participation in the International Father Acceptance-
Rejection Project; and, a presentation by Sonia Carrillo on her research spanning the
last six years’ activities of the research group.
Pictured top row, left to right- Milton
Bermudez, Karen Martinez, Victoria
Cabrera, Carolina Botero, and Sonia
Carrillo. Bottom row, left to right-
Karen Ripoll, Ronald P. Rohner, and
Nancy Rohner.
In the last six months the following agencies have formed alliances with the Rohner Center to further agency
services around the world: International Rescue Committee http://www.rescue.org (Interventions and evaluations of parenting
skills), (Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard School of Public Health http://
www.harvardfxbcenter.org a long-term collaboration with the government of Sierra Leone - one of the poorest countries on
earth), the International Rescue Committee (and local service agencies), The Educational and Psychological Counseling
Institute of the Czech Republic http://www.msmt.cz.ippp, Perris Valley Recovery Program http://alcoholism.about.com/od/
tx_ca/qt/pvrp.htm (in cooperation with University of Montreal Department of Psychology), Roots of Empathy
www.rootsofempathy.org (in cooperation with University of Montreal Department of Psychology), and Centre for Social Policy
http://www.dartington.org.uk.
Also, The Rohner Center welcomed guests Professor Artemis Giotsa (second from left in the attached photo),
Profrossor Andreas Zergiotis, and their daughter, Nicol-Zoi. Artemis and Andreas are from Greece. They spent the month of
April with the Rohners working on their Post-Doctoral research projects. Artemis is working on issues of parental—especially
paternal—acceptance-rejection and Greek children’s psychological adjustment and behavior. Andreas is working on issues of
perceived parental acceptance-rejection and teachers’ evaluation of students’ conduct in the USA and Greece.

Father’s Day Brings a Flurry of Media Attention to Rohner Center’s Research
A press release by the public affairs office at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology created a flurry of attention
to an article by Abdul Khaleque and Ronald P. Rohner on “Transnational Relations Between Perceived Parental Acceptance
and Personality Dispositions of Children and Adults: A Meta-Analytic Review” published in the May 2012 Personality and
Social Psychology Review. The press release, entitled “A father’s love is one of the greatest influences on personality
development” went ‘viral’—within two hours of release there were 700 hits on the website seeking more information.
There was a barrage of requests to Ronald Rohner for phone, Skype, radio, magazine, and TV interviews—all
clamoring to make a Father’s Day release deadline. Some of the resulting media productions were:
The GreatSchools Blog: Just in time for Father’s Day: Why dad’s love matters so much by Jessica Kelmon, Associate
Editor.
Consumer HealthDay: Dad’s Love Can Be Crucial for Happy Childhood, Study Confirms. For many kids, rejection by
father can be even more devastating than by mother. By Barbara Bronson Gray, HealthDay Reporter.
National Post: Sorry mom, but a father’s love may be more important to kids: research. By Misty Harris, Postmedia
News.
The London Mail: How absence of a loving father can wreck a child’s life: New study shows relationship with both
parents is crucial. By Fiona Macrae, Daily Mail reporter.
Seattle Times: Fathers, More than Mothers, Shape a Child’s Personality. By Christine Hsu, online reporter.
Focus on the Family: Helping families thrive. A radio interview with Roger Greer, syndicated columnist, providing relevant
Christian advice on marriage, parenting, and other topics.
Global News TV: Heather Yourex, health reporter in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
LiveScience.com: The Science of Fatherhood: Why Dads Matter. By Stepanie Pappas, senior writer.
Psychology Today German Edition: Summarized article published in Personality and Social Psychology Review. By Klaus
Wilhelm, science writer from Berlin.
SEMANA (leading news magazine in Colombia, South America). Interview by Silvia Camargo.
The Kansas City Star: article by Eric Adler, senior reporter.
Photo by Preston Britner
12

SPOTLIGHT ON
STUDENTS
HDFS 2012 Honors Students
On April 18th, the HDFS Honors Program held its annual Honors Theses Poster
Presentation, where this year’s cohort of nine honors students presented their
thesis posters to faculty, staff, family, and friends. The poster presentation
marked the culmination of a year-long process for the students, who all
designed and conducted their own independent research projects under the
direction of their thesis advisors.
The event was held, and followed by a reception in the Deans’ Lounge of
the Family Studies building. During the reception, the students’ thesis advisors
introduced them and wowed the audience with details about the students’ many
accomplishments and exciting future plans.
During this year’s presentation, faculty, staff, and students honored
Associate Professor Anita I. Garey as she concluded her nine-year tenure as
Director of the Honors Program and HDFS Honors Faculty Advisor. Honors
Program Graduate Assistant Sara K. Johnson presented Dr. Garey with a plaque to recognize her vision, passion, and dedication to
the Honors Program. Dr. Garey is succeeded by Assistant Professor Kari L. Adamsons.
Cristin Caparotta (Advisor: Associate Professor Anne Farrell) presented her poster, “Professional Development Needs of Early
Childhood Providers: A Focus Group Study.” Starting this fall, Cristin will be attending the University of Maryland to obtain a Master of
Education degree in School Counseling.
Samantha B. Eisenberg (Advisor: Professor Preston A. Britner) presented her research, “Undergraduate Students’ Experiences of
Personal Growth through the Mentoring of Youth.” Samantha is returning to UConn this fall to begin the Master’s program in School
Counseling.
Stephanie Godbout (Advisor: Professor JoAnn Robinson) presented her poster, “An Exploratory Study of Preschoolers’ Language
and Literacy Skills and Their Experiences in Dialogic Reading Epochs.” Stephanie is moving to Boston to attend the Massachusetts
General Hospital Institute of Health Professions to earn a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology.
Olivia Hebenstreit (Advisor: Associate Professor Anita I. Garey) presented her research, “Expectations and Realities of Legal
Advocating for Children.” Beginning this fall, Olivia is attending Quinnipiac School of Law, where she plans to specialize in family law
and dispute resolution.
Anne Lee (Advisor: Assistant Professor Edna Brown) presented her poster, “How Divorced Parents’ Mental Health Affects
Childrens’ Academic Achievement and Overall Well-Being Post-Divorce.” Anne is currently exploring graduate school options.
Allegra Levine (Advisor: Professor Thomas O. Blank) presented her research, “Life After Loss: Experiences Following the Death of
a Young Adult Spouse.” Allegra will be attending the UConn School of Law beginning in fall 2012 and plans to become a child
advocate.
Joseph Levy (Advisor: Professor Preston A. Britner) presented his poster, “Does Opening Family and Juvenile Courts Increase the
Media Attention They Receive?” Joe is currently working and contemplating attending law school to study family law.
Lauren Reilly (Advisor: Professor JoAnn Robinson) presented her research, “Does the Observed Working Alliance of Children In
Jumpstart with their UConn Student Mentors Predict the Quality of the Shared Reading Experience?” Lauren is currently looking for a
position as a preschool teacher and considering graduate school options.
Shawnae Thompson (Advisor: Professor JoAnn Robinson) presented her poster, “Young African-American Children’s
Representations of the Father Role in Low-Income Households.” Shawnae will soon begin an internship at a residential program for
youth in Memphis, Tennessee.
More information about the Honors Program, including photos of the students and copies of their posters, is available at the HDFS Honors Program website:
http://www.familystudies.uconn.edu/undergraduate/honors.html. The website also has information about past HDFS Honors student cohorts beginning in
2004 through 2011.
13

Congratulations HDFS Graduates!
December 2011
Heather Castro
Stephanie Daniels
Michelle DeBarba
Lisa DeGraff
Ricardo Desouza
Talya Gunasekara
Hong Ho
Anna Houlihan
Marisely Jiminez-Cruz
Natalie Kight
Alexis Lagasse
Alyssa Marrero
Rachele Martin
Stefanie Mello
Lauren Millerd
Kendal O’Brien
May 2012
Ada Acevedo
Manal Ahmad
Margot Albin
Cynthia Anderson
Ashley Angle
Chelsea Ashbrook
Bjanka Avxhiu
Johanny Baez
Sarah Baldwin
Jennifer Barnabei
Brian Bell
Ashley Bellemare
Michelle Benitez
Jose Benitez-Rivera
Sangye Bhutia
Carolyn Bighinatti
Chelsea Bilskis
Olivia Bogucki
Angela Boiano
Alison Branciforte
Hannah Braunstein
Briana Brown
Jenna Buccelli
Meredith Buczek
Michael Budhram
Shpresa Bungu
Kathryn Cannon
Jacqueline Canter
Cristin Caparotta
Kasey Carta
Emily Carver
Chelsea Cichocki
Stefanie Clark
Kelsie Colpitts
Alison Conforto
Cecalie Cooper
Linda Crawford
Jilissa Crosby
Lindsay Cuadras
Kaitlyn Cullen
Erin Daniels
Sarah Darling
Martika Davis
Zena Debs
Chelsea Dellano
Megan Demetros
Elizabeth Pelle
Meghan Penney
Lauren Pires
Kacey Richards
Mayte Robalino
Adela Rusi
Alexandra Santoro
Elizabeth Saternis
Amanda Stallings
Ashley Thibodeau
Alexandria Truss
Natasha Vargas
Sarah Walberg
Candace Williams
Nicole Wilson
William Young
Ricardo Desouza
Carolyn Di Marco
Courtney Dinnan
Kristin Doty
Sydney Dowd
Caitlin Doyle
Jessica Dulski
Samantha Eisenberg
Kimberly Ellison
Elizabeth Engelmann
Ileana Espinar
Jenna Fabrizio
Jacquelyn Fairey
Wendy Faticoni
Fara Fequiere
Cami Ferguson
Katherine Ferreira
Justine Fiermonte
Kerri Flaherty
Elizabeth Fletcher
Victoria Flowers
Joshua Freeman
Bridget Frosina
HDFS Lecturer Kim Larrabee, and
Kacey Richards.
Kacey Richards is
the only Early
Childhood
Development
Education December
graduate. Kacey was
a student athlete on
the UConn Women’s
Soccer Team.
Although she had
professional recruiting
opportunities last
May, Kacey opted to return to UConn for the Fall
semester in order to complete her Student Teaching
experience in the Child Development Laboratories.
Kacey has now had employment offers to work in the field
of early childhood, and is entertaining an offer to play soccer
professionally for Team Sweden.
Jessica Gaglio
Amy Galarza
Elena Garcia
Matthew Garcia
Alexandria Garufi
Emily Gay
Alyssa Geissler
Christin George
Michael Gervasi
Rachel Gitter
Rachael Glidden
Stephanie Godbout
Nikitha Gopidi
Christine Gottung
Meagan Griffin
Tenniel Hacker
Ashton Haga
Danika Ham
Jill Hammond
Grace Harper
Melissa Hauser
Olivia Hebenstreit
Amy Hecht
Fiona Hees
Holly Hennick
Samantha Higgins
Amy Holland
Francesca Howard
Amanda Jablon
Tashida Jacobs
Jennifer Jaekle
Jodi James
Kasia Janik
Julie Jimenez
Marisely Jimenez-Cruz
Jessica Joerman-
Lockwood
Pamela Johnson
Whitney Johnson
Meredith Kelsey
Alan Kinsella
Joseph Kopman-Fried
Tarra Kozma
Benjamin Krier
Rachel Labrecque
Lindsey Lafemina
14

15
Thu Lam
Elizabeth Lamour
Melainey Lanauze
Mary Lapham
Anne Lee
Lindsay Lehman
Melissa Lepak
Allegra Levine
Joseph Levy
BrianaLewis
Janice Lewis
Yuk-Ting Li
Gloria Lim
Rebecca Lima
Mylva Lopes
Lisa Lorenti
Danielle Lowell
Samantha Lurcott
Rachel Macri
Caitlin Marchetta
Colleen Maroney
Kelsey Marshall
Halie Martinelli
Ada Martinez
Kristin Mazotas
Meaghan McCarthy
Amy McDavitt
Sara McKechnie
Stephanie McLaughlin
Kaitlin Mele
Mindy Midy
Regine Midy
Amanda Milikin
Carly Moffett
Family Studies
Undergraduate
Committee
(FSUC)
Kally Moquete-Gonzalez
Leah Moskowitz
Kenza Moubchir
Kareemah Muhammad
Kathleen Mullaly
Jacqueline Myers
Leah Nelson
Joanna Niebrzydowski
Laura Niquez
Alyssa Nydick
Sarah O’Brien
Blake O’Donnell
Kelly Olson
Paul Orsino
Stephanie Ortiz
Joanna Oszmian
Cecily Pacheco
Erica Palumbo
Lauren Pappa
Jessica Parker
Rebecca Parkhurst
Patty Patumanon
Katelyn Pellin
Rachel Perry
Sharaya Pinkney
Leslie Pinto
Christopher Piro
Brittany Pizzella
Cara Pribanic
Madeline Proehl
Krista Pupillo
Katie Rafferty
Lauren Reilly
Catalina Reinhardt
Laura Reynolds
Mara Richardson
Erin Riley
Shauna Robitaille
Bayron Rodriguez-Sanchez
Catherine Rogliano
Jenna Rossi
Bernadette Ruberte
Robin Rudd
Michael Russell
Stephanie Salierno
Rosannie Santiago
Sara Sarwar
Priyanka Saxena
Rebecca Schatzlein
Brittany Schnurr
Mary Scully
Laine Selander
Sarah Selkow
Margaret Serafin
Olivia Serino
Cassandra Setzler
Erin Shannon
Rebecca Shubert
Amanda Silberstein
Dana Silva
Kerry Silva
Shawnece Simmons
Heather Sisti
Allison Sowsy
Lisa Stearns
Sarah Steingiser
Alyssa Suhr
Colleen Sullivan
The FSUC sponsored an “All Day
Study Break” during finals week last
semester. The event was held in the
Deans’ Lounge and provided an
opportunity for students to stop by
for free snacks and coffee, and relax
between finals.
FSUC Human Services and Helping Professions Career Night
Nina Sullivan
Angela Swanson
Adrienne Swartwout-Morgan
Amy Symonds
Lindsay Tatera
Stephanie Tavares
Shawnae Thompson
Amanda Toni
Legnalys Torres
Kiersten Tupper
Abigail Vacca
Ashley Vance
Roshani Vanmali
Jessica Verrastro
Bethany Vibert
Sara Walker
Jessica Walsh
Justyna Wawrzonek
Brittany Webber
Ashley West
Michael Williams
Sage Williamson
Fauve Wilton
Chelsea Winkler
Patricia Wysoczanski
Amanda Zajaczkowski
Catherine Zanella-Litke
Kristine Zytka
Students from all majors were invited to attend FSUC’s Annual Career Night for Human Services and Helping
Professions!
Students had the opportunity to network with various professionals who shared their experiences at his or
her present job, previous jobs, and education. It was a great opportunity for students at any stage of their career
searching to learn about possibilities for the future!
Some professionals who participated in the event were the Supvisor of the Department of Children and
Families (DCF), a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Family and Child Law Attorney, a Counseling Psychologist, a
School Social Worker, a Child Life Specialist, an Early Childhood Educator, Graduate Students (from Marriage and
Family Therapy, Human Development and Family Studies, Higher Education and Student Affairs), Representatives
from Career Services, and the Family Studies Alumni Society.

2012 Social Science, Humanities, and Arts Research Experience (SHARE) Award
From the UConn Stamford website (http://stamford.uconn.edu/)
HDFS Assistant Professor Annamaria Csizmadia and HDFS undergraduate student Gabrielle
Phillips have been selected to receive a 2012 UConn Social Science, Humanities, and Arts
Research Experience (SHARE) award. The SHARE award provides a $500 professional
development stipend for the faculty mentor and a $1,500 research stipend to support Ms.
Phillips’ involvement in a research project. In this research apprenticeship, students spend 10
hours per week during the spring semester working on a faculty project. The student benefits
from close interaction and a mentoring relationship with an expert in the field. The student
develops as
a scholar, gaining first-hand experience with practical application of concepts, while actively
pursuing an area of personal interest. This grant enables faculty to mentor a student in research
competencies, while also supporting the completion of a meaningful project.
The project Ms. Phillips will be working on under Annamaria’s mentorship involves using
a multi-method and multi-informant approach to examine school adjustment among approximately 40 children ages 6-9 living in recent
immigrant families of Caribbean, Central, or South American origin. The families will be recruited from two urban after-school programs
located in Southwestern Connecticut. This study examines 1) young immigrant children’s school adjustment as reflected in levels of
school engagement, academic performance, and externalizing behavior, and 2) the roles that child pro-social competencies and
racial/ethnic socialization play in these outcomes.
These data are collected from parents on racial/ethnic socialization practices and family demographic characteristics; from
children on cognitive school engagement, prosocial competence, and school behavior (the latter via story stem narratives). Child
academic performance is measured via report card grades.
The SHARE project also involves a partnership with the Stamford community and addresses issues that are quite salient and
timely. Congratulations to Dr. Csizmadia and Ms. Phillips!
Emerging Scholar Spotlight
Pictured left to right, Gabrielle Phillips
and Annamaria Csizmadia.
The following article is from the Society for Research on Adolescence’s recent newsletter, December 2011.
Sara Johnson is a doctoral candidate in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of
Connecticut. Innovative substantive and methodology research interests as well as a passion for applying
research set Sara apart and put her in this month’s spotlight.
Her substantive research interests lie in identity development during adolescence and emerging
adulthood, with a particular focus on implications for the design and evaluation of prevention and positive
youth development programming. Sara studies how identity develops through volunteer experiences as
well as “identity interventions.” She is interested in the extent to which identity development mediates or
Photo by Lainie Hiller moderates intervention outcomes, and she argues that theories of identity maintenance and change can
be applied to program design and evaluation to better understand the processes through which prevention
and interventions work. These represent some of the questions she is addressing in her dissertation,
which examines emerging adult college students participating in semester-long community service programs through the University of
Connecticut’s Office of Community Outreach.
Sara did not originally intend to focus on quantitative methods, but after taking several courses, she became convinced of the
far-reaching implications that methods have for program design and evaluation. Her strategy in graduate school has been to take
every quantitative and qualitative methods course available, which has resulted in a certificate in Quantitative Methods in University of
Connecticut’s psychology department. Sara enjoys teaching about methods and working with colleagues on methodologicallyoriented
research questions.
Her methodological interests are at the field’s cutting-edge: she is interested in person-centered quantitative methods
(mixture modeling), and combining these person-centered methods with in-depth interviews to create mixed methods designs. Sara
is also interested in methods for analyzing nested and dyadic data – types of data often encountered in evaluating prevention and
intervention programs.
In fact, Sara Johnson is enthusiastically committed to applying her research, even in methods, to real-world issues. Sara
says, “Even though my substantive and methodological interests can seem far removed from the day-to-day things that happen in
programs and activities, I am extremely committed to making sure that my research is applicable to and relevant for practitioners and
program providers.” She has authored numerous reports for state and community agencies to share information on the design and
evaluation of positive youth development programs. Sara has also committed to providing in-depth information to her University’s
Office of Community Outreach about students’ experiences in programs as she partners with them to do her dissertation research.
In addition to research, Sara has engaged in teaching, mentoring, and service. She was also selected to attend the 2011
EARA/SRA Summer School in Tucson, Arizona.
After completing her Ph.D. and graduating in May 2012, Sara has started a postdoctoral fellowship at Tufts
University. Congratulations, Dr. Johnson!
16

17
Best Poster
HDFS doctoral Student Yeon Soo Yoo had
her poster selected as the “best poster”
presented by a graduate student at the recent
meetings of the New England Psychological
Association. In recognition of this award Yeon
Soo received a “certificate of award” and a
modest, and appreciated, monetary prize.
Congratulations Yeon Soo!
University of Connecticut
Council on Family Relations
(UCCFR)
The UCCFR
had an
eventful
year! As in
past
semesters,
the UCCFR
held pizza
nights - a
time for
HDFS graduate students, faculty, and staff to
meet at Willington Pizza and enjoy each
other’s company.
On November 15 th , 2011, the UCCFR
sponsored a Jewelry Party in which the money
raised went toward buying gifts for the Giving
Tree. Each winter the UCCFR helps sponsor a
family through the Town of Mansfield, and
invites HDFS students, faculty and staff to
participate by purchasing a gift for the family.
The Giving Tree was a success once again this
year! The UCCFR was able to coordinate a
second Giving Tree between EASTCONN and
the Child Labs.
In addition, the UCCFR worked with the
Family Studies Undergraduate Committee
(FSUC) to put together a graduate student
panel and a Personal Statement Workshop.
The purpose of the workshop was to have the
graduate students talk about their experience
in the field and to help the undergraduates learn
what it is like to be a student at the graduate
level. The UCCFR plans to continue working
with the FSUC in the upcoming semesters, and
also plans on continued Pizza Nights and a
new community service activity in the spring
semester.
Defenses
Doctoral candidate Elizabeth Bell defended her dissertation
entitled, “Linking Family Differentiation, Couple Communication
Processes, and Dyadic Adjustment in Young Adult Couples”, on
September 2 nd , 2011. Members of her advising team were: Major
Advisor, Shannon E. Weaver, Ph.D.; Associate Advisor, Ronald M.
Sabatelli, Ph.D.; and Associate Advisor, Sandra A. Rigazio-
DiGilio, Ph.D.
Doctoral Candidate Samit Dipon Bordoloi defended his
dissertation entitled, “ ‘It’s Like I Am Standing Still’: Immigration
Regulations and Wives of International Students”, on December 13 th ,
2011. Members of his advising team were: Major Advisor, Marysol
Asencio, Dr.P.H.; Associate Advisor, Nancy A. Naples, Ph.D.; and
Associate Advisor, Edna Brown, Ph .D.
Doctoral Candidate Sara K. Johnson defended her dissertation
entitled, “Identity Development and Civic Attitudes: A Person-
Centered Approach to Understanding Emerging Adults’ Experiences
in Community Service”, on May 2 nd , 2012. Members of her advising
team were Major Advisor, Preston A. Britner, Ph.D.; Associate
Advisor, Stephen A. Anderson, Ph.D.; Associate Advisor, Kari L.
Adamsons, Ph.D.; and Associate Advisor, D. Betsy McCoach,
Ph.D.
Doctoral Candidate Kate Kellett defended her dissertation entitled,
“Long-Term Care Need and Utilization Among Baby Boomers and
Older Adults with Mental Illnesses in Connecticut”, on March 7 th ,
2012. Members of her advising team were: Major Advisor, Stephen
Anderson, Ph.D.; Associate Advisor, Teresa McDowell, Ed.D.; and
Associate Advisor, Shayne Anderson, Ph.D.
Doctoral Candidate Sebastian A. Perumbilly, MA, MA, LMFT
defended his dissertation entitled, “Substance Abuse and Addiction
Treatment Programs in India: Exploring the Voices of Indian
Treatment and Research Professionals”, on August 11 th , 2011.
Members of his advising team were: Major Advisor, Stephen
Anderson, Ph.D.; Associate Advisor, Teresa McDowell, Ed.D.; and
Associate Advisor, Shayne Anderson, Ph.D.
Doctoral candidate Kimberly Petrovic, MSN, MA, RN defended her
dissertation entitled, “The Influence of Physician Trust on Adherence
to Statin Medications in Older Persons Living with HIV/AIDS and
Cardiovascular Disease”, on December 12 th , 2011. Members of her
advising team were: Major Advisor, Thomas O. Blank, Ph.D.;
Associate Advisor, Preston Britner, Ph.D.; and Associate Advisor,
Seth Kalichman, Ph.D.
Master’s candidate Ashley Reckert, B.A. defended her dissertation
entitled, “Assessing Help-Seeking Attitudes, Service Utilization, and
Provider Preferences Among Undergraduate Students With Self-
Reported Sexual Functioning Concerns”, on April 18 th , 2012.
Members of her advising team were Major Advisor, Rachel
Tambling, Ph.D.; Associate Advisor, Shayne Anderson, Ph.D.;
and Associate Advisor, Marysol Asencio, Dr.P.H.

Congratulations HDFS 2010-2011 Scholarship Recipients!
Human Development and Family Studies Honors Poster Presentations and Reception
HDFS
ALUMNI NEWS
Lily Alpert, Ph.D., ’07
Awarded Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Chicago
“In September 2011, I moved to Chicago, as I was selected to be a Harold A. Richman
Postdoctoral Fellow at the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. I
am fortunate to be working with Dr. Fred Wulczyn whose sophisticated and cutting edge
work analyzing state child welfare administrative data I find really exciting. Most of my
work right now is with Dr. Wulczyn’s Center for State Foster Care and Adoption Data. The
Center works directly with state child welfare systems by transforming their electronically
collected data into longitudinal data files that can be analyzed to assess outcomes for
children and families and system-wide change over time. I am working closely with state
administrators, helping them to understand the main concepts behind longitudinal data
analysis and why this approach to data is so important in the context of continuous quality
improvement in child welfare. It is incredibly rewarding work and a unique opportunity to
grow as a researcher while retaining a very applied focus on foster care policy and practice.
As a student at UConn, I started to lay the groundwork for a career in foster care research,
and I am grateful to have had a series of experiences since graduating that have enabled me to pursue this topic about
which I feel so passionately.”
Elena Garcia, ’11
Former HDFS Honors Student and Gerontology minor has accepted a position as the Admissions Director at Village
Green in Bristol, CT
“While I was a student in the HDFS program I received a minor in gerontology and for that
program we had to do an internship that was paired with a class. I think that was one of the
best opportunities that I had while in school, and it greatly helped me get the job that I have
now. I interned in a nursing facility as an admissions intern and that experience helped me
get my first job out of college. This job was as an admissions and social services director
(filling in for a maternity leave for a former HDFS student who contacted Nancy Sheehan
with the job opportunity). From there I filled in part time at another facility doing paperwork
for the social services department and when an admissions job opened up in that company
at another skilled nursing facility I applied. If I didn’t have the experience from the internship
I would not have been able to get the first job in admissions and then in turn would not have
been able to get the Director of Admissions job. I think the internship in the Gerontology
program (while many do not like it because of the significant time commitment) is very
beneficial because it gives you real work experience, builds your résumé, and helps you gain
contacts in the field you want to peruse. This class was also avaliable to non-gerontology minors and I think every junior
or senior in the HDFS program should consider taking this class.”
18

HDFS ALUMNI Spotlight
Colleen Deasy ‘08
I am currently working as a trial attorney for the Committee for Public Counsel Services, which is
the agency of public defenders in Massachusetts. I work for the Child and Family Law Division doing
civil work in child welfare. I represent children and indigent parents in child welfare cases, including
care and protection, children in need of services, and termination of parental rights cases in Boston
and Cambridge Juvenile Courts.
Broadly speaking, my job is to try and keep families intact when the Massachusetts
Department of Children and Families (DCF; the child welfare agency) seeks to remove a child from
the family’s home. My role is to directly represent the expressed wishes of my clients, whether I
represent the parent or the child. I represent clients in all legal proceedings, including hearings and
trials. I also advocate for my clients in more informal settings, like treatment team and planning
meetings, and in special education and school disciplinary meetings and hearings.
The undergraduate work that I did as an HDFS major prepared me well for this work. On
any given day, I need to draw on the information that I learned in my human development classes;
knowledge about developmental milestones and stages underpins my understanding of clients.
Without this information, I couldn’t advocate for the right match of services or make sound arguments about why a child’s behavior
(especially a teenager!) might actually be a developmentally appropriate response to their situation. The classes that I took with
Professor JoAnn Robinson provided me with a solid foundation for understanding typical development, as well as some of the
atypical behaviors that I encounter regularly. Early childhood education classes with HDFS Lecturer Meg Galante-DeAngelis
shaped my understanding of philosophies that support and protect children. I completed a graduate-level class on Positive Behavior
Supports with Associate Professor Anne Farrell, which has greatly shaped my practical understanding of behavior management,
especially important for me since so many DCF-involved youth have challenges. And, stated simply, state involvement with a family is
essentially a family-level behavioral intervention on the part of the state.
Every single one of my clients becomes my client by virtue of the fact that their lives are in serious crisis. Each one faces
the incredible challenges of poverty every single day. Almost all of my cases involve some combination of other complicating factors,
including drug abuse and addiction, domestic violence, illiteracy and insufficient education, criminal history, language barriers, mental
health issues, and/or a history of trauma. My background in HDFS has been essential to my clinical ability to spot issues and better
understand my clients, the kinds of challenges and barriers that they face, and the research supported interventions that can assist.
This grounded, practical orientation was an element of every HDFS class that I took. I was challenged to think most explicitly about
it in Professor Steve Wisensale’s class on managing human services programs. There, we spoke about meeting the clients where
they are – which is one of the most important principles that I employ on a daily basis. I still think about Professor Wisensale’s
anecdote about a pet store: the doors had windows at the height were human passersby could see through, and a second window
that the dogs and cats, walking on leashes, could see through. There is an important point about enabling an individual’s perspective.
I work every day to construct a window for my customers – this means understanding their view of the world and finding the specific
support that they need.
While at UConn, I began to put many of these principles and theories into practice through my work at UConn’s Office of
Community Outreach. I wrote the grant for Jumpstart at UConn. As the Jumpstart Program Manager, I recruited, hired, and managed
the first class of Corps Members. I learned a great deal about myself, about service, and about the inner-workings of a human
services organization. I am endlessly grateful for this opportunity for many reasons; one critical one was connecting for the first time
academics and “real life” work that was compelling to me. I see very clear connections among my HDFS courses, my work at
Jumpstart and the philosophy of service that I developed, and the work that I am doing now.
I consider myself lucky: while I was still a college student, I knew with certainty that I wanted to work as a lawyer and an
advocate for children with special needs in a public school setting. I geared many of my studies around this interest, including my
senior honors thesis, completed under the advisement (and endless patience) of JoAnn Robinson and Anne Farrell and the
support and guidance of Associate Professor Anita Garey. My thesis evaluated Family-Centered Practice in Early Intervention
Programs. By completing a thesis, I found that I was able to safely rule out research as a potential career trajectory, and I also found
how passionately I cared about providing children and families with thoughtful, family- and child-centered services. This idea is a
central tenet of my current practice, and I work to make sure that the DCF service plans, Early Intervention, special education, and
other intervention plans are centered around my clients’ specific strengths and needs.
I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy working with children and families involved with the child welfare
system. My hope is to be able to utilize my interest in special education advocacy to benefit this specific population – a group of
children who are often the most in need for special education services but can easily “slip through the cracks” of many school
systems.
Colleen Deasy graduated with Honors from UConn in 2008 with a dual degree in HDFS and English. While at UConn, she was Phi Beta
Kappa, and won awards including the Individual Service Award, HDFS Student of the Year, University Peer Educator of the Year, and Truman
Scholar nominee. She attended graduate school at Boston College, where she matriculated simultaneously at BC Law School and in the
Lynch School of Education. She interned at the Cape Cod District Attorney’s Office and the United States Department of Education Office for
Civil Rights and spent her third year of law school working for the Juvenile Rights Advocacy Project and The Edlaw Project. There Colleen
represented children involved in the juvenile justice system in matters relating to their delinquency or education. She graduated from BC in
2011 with a Juris Doctor (law degree) and master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in special education. She began
her work at CPCS in August 2011 and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in November 2011. Follow her on Twitter: @colleendeezy.
19

HDFS
EVENTS
Past
On February 28 th HDFS and and the Women’s Studies Program co-sponsored a lecture
given by baseball pioneer Justine Siegal. As the Founder and Executive Director of
Baseball for All, she has dedicated her life to providing greater opportunities for girls
and women who desire to play baseball. Having played baseball (not softball) through
high school, men’ summer leagues, and in international play, she is the first woman to
throw batting practice to Major League teams (Indians, A’s, Rays, Cardinals, Astros and
Mets), the first female base coach in professional baseball (Brocton Rox), and the only
female assistant college baseball coach. While she is appreciative of the honor to make
history, she is much more interested in creating a better future for girls and women who
want to play baseball at all levels.
On March 26 th Dean and Director of The Ohio State University at Mansfield, Stephen M. Gavazzi,
Ph.D. (UConn ’91) gave a talk entitled, “Highlighting the influence of family factors on adolescent
outcomes: Three converging lines of research from the juvenile justice, mental health, and
educational literature” at the UConn Storrs campus.
Professor Gavazzi has established a research program that identifies the impact of family
dynamics on adolescent development, psychopathology, and problem behavior. Dr. Gavazzi has
been involved in the development and evaluation of a number of family-based programming efforts,
including a multifamily psychoeducation group for families containing children with mood
disorders implemented and evaluated through a grant from the National Institutes for Mental
Health.
Professor Gavazzi also has created the Growing Up FAST Program, a family-based
diversion initiative for use with juvenile offenders and their families, that has been funded through
a series of generous grants from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services and the State of
Ohio Department of Youth Services.
Currently his efforts are largely directed toward the development of a web-based instrument known as the Global
Risk Assessment Device (GRAD), designed to measure potential threats to the developmental needs of adolescents coming
to the attention of the juvenile justice system.
This event was co-sponsored by the Department of Human Development & Family Studies, and the Center for
Applied Research in Family Studies.
On April 9th V. Mark Durand, Professor of Psychology at theUniversity of South Florida,
gave the Ruth Evelyn Parcells Foote ’42 and Barbara Jones Johnson Foote ’43
Distinguished Lecture to a near-capacity audience in the Konover Auditorium of the Dodd
Center. The Foote lectures emphasize the importance, stimulate the desire, and
enhance the ability of all components of society to contribute to the development of
family nurture. Dr. Durand’s address, entitled The Concession Process: Understanding
Challenging Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorders, was a natural fit.
Mark Durand is recognized worldwide as an authority in autism spectrum
disorders. Dr. Durand is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and has
received over $4 million in federal funding to study behavior problems in children with
disabilities. Durand is the co-editor of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions and has written 10 books including
abnormal psychology textbooks used at more than 1,000 universities. He has more than 100 research publications on
functional communication, educational programming, and behavior therapy.
Dr. Durand’s lecture introduced the “concession process” as a new framework from which to understand how
problem behaviors – so common in ASDs - develop over time. He presented new longitudinal data from parents as well as
children and the results of a randomized clinical trial demonstrating how intervention can significantly improve treatment
outcomes.
The distinguished lecture was underwritten by the Department of Human Development & Family Studies, received
support from the Office of Sponsored programs, and was co-sponsored by six departments and programs at UConn. Two
graduate student associations (Connecticut Council on Family Relations in HDFS, and the Student Association of School
Psychology, Neag School of Education) also co-sponsored and helped plan the event.
Following the lecture was a panel discussion on families and disabilities including panelists from Human
Development and Family Studies (Anne F. Farrell, Ph.D.), Sociology & Women Studies (Michael Gill, Ph.D.), Education/
Special Education (Brandi Simonsen, Ph.D.), Communication Disorders (Bernard Grela, Ph.D.), and the UConn UCEDD
(Mary Beth Bruder, Ph.D.). The event was streamed live and is archived at: http://goo.gl/Rxg9J.
20

21
In March, HDFS Emeritus Professor and Department Historian Irene Q. Brown invited
alumni and friends, faculty and staff to an informal gathering and viewing of the “Women
of New England: Dress from the Industrial Age, 1850–1900” exhibit, which was at the
Benton Museum, located at the UConn Storrs campus.
The exhibition of fifty Victorian Mannequins was based on the extensive Historical
Clothing and Textile Collection at the University of Connecticut. It was organized by
Professor Laura Crow, Director of Costume Design and Curator of the Collection, in the
Department of Dramatic Arts of the School of Fine Arts.
Many of the dresses were part of the M. Estella Sprague Costume Collection in the
School of Home Economics/Family Studies, named after one of the early faculty
members and administrators there. Alumni from the School of Home Economics and their families have been significant
contributors to the Collection.
Upcoming Events
Undergraduate Scholarship Reception
Each fall, HDFS recognizes its undergraduate scholarship winners, on Family Weekend, at our Dean Elizabeth E. May
Watermelon Reception. This joyous occasion celebrates the achievements of some of our outstanding students and their
future promise - often in the presence of their relatives.
It is also a time to remember the past and those who created the scholarships, sometimes decades ago, when there
was no HDFS as there is today, but rather the School of Home Economics (and later Family Studies) with components of
Human Development and more. This reception is named in honor of one of the significant administrators of the School of
Home Economics, Dean Elizabeth Eckhardt May, who held the position from 1952- 1964. In her time, few freshmen entered
the School so early in the fall semester, she would invite them to a watermelon picnic at her home. An evocative photo of the
early 1960s gatherings hangs in the Deans’ Lounge of the Family Studies Building.
This year’s event for scholarship recipients and their families will be held on Saturday, September 22 nd , 2012 on the
Storrs campus.
HDFS 2012-2013 Scholarship Recpients
Raymond & Jeanne Bartman Scholarship in Family Studies
Melanie Furman
Katelyn Hirtle
Jaclyn Price
Elna E. Daniels Scholarship
Jamie Rauch
Joan Sineti Fenton & Richard J. Fenton Scholarship in
Human Development and Family Studies
Stephanie Grimaldi
Nellie A. Gard Scholarship
Emily Beaulieu
Rachell Farnham
Stephanie Grimaldi
Katelyn Hirtle
Calli Knudsen
Jody Miele
Deidre Mitchell
Cindy Newman
Shannon Perkins
Khamille Turnage
Audrey L. Jarrelle Fund
Emily Beaulieu
Clyde A. Jones Scholarship Fund
Calli Knudsen
Margaret Fraser Lindsay Scholarship
Shannon Perkins
Ardele Valcourt Loughlin Scholarship
Jamie Rauch
E. Charlotte Rogers Award
Cindy Newman
Frederic C. Teich Award
Jody Miele
Dorothy E. Vail Home Economics Award
Deidre Mitchell
Lucy Allen Wyman Scholarship
Rachell Farnham

Upcoming event at UConn Stamford – a professional development workshop for early childhood
professionals
The Stamford School Readiness Council, together with a collaborative of community partners, has planned a significant
professional development event . The event will be held at the Stamford campus on October 10 nd .
The speaker is Judy Jablon who has authored and co-authored books on intentional teaching and (the latest NAEYC
piece) on positive interactions.
UConn HDFS faculty will serve as facilitators, and Associate Professor Anne Farrell is on the Executive
Committee, and Chair of the Education Committee of the Council.
If you are interested in attending the event see the flyer below for more information, or contact Karen.
Brennan@uwwesternct.org or 203.883.6700. Register for the event at http://fcaeyc.org/?page_id=10.
Have news of UConn alumni or current events you’d like to share with the
HDFS Communicator?
The HDFS Communicator is soliciting photos, accomplishments, news, milestones, and story ideas for publication as part of
our newsletter. If you have a photo that you have taken, please submit the high-resolution photograph to
Janice.Berriault@uconn.edu for possible inclusion. All photos remain the property of the photographer and are only
reproduced within the HDFS communicator with full photo credit.
The folks at University Communications
brought the “Conn-Men” to the Deans’ Lounge
in the Family Studies building, whom they
recorded singing “Let it Snow”. The recording
was used for President Herbst’s e-holiday card
in December 2011.
Photo by Preston Britner
In July 2012 a hawk found a place to rest,
next to the President’s Garden, on the front
lawn of Gulley Hall.
22

University of Connecticut
Department of Human Development & Family Studies
348 Mansfield Road, Unit 2058
Storrs, CT 06269-2058
Phone: 860.486.4720
Photo by Preston Britner