MSU Department of Human Development and Family Studies

Dr. Deborah Johnson speaking at a podium.

Congratulations to Dr. Deborah Johnson for being awarded the American Psychological Association (APA) Fellow distinction with Divisions 7 (Developmental Psychology) and 45 (Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race)! spr.ly/63325AU4FW #HDFS #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience

Group photo of diverse individuals promoting "Couple & Family Therapy Program Virtual Open House, October 16, 1-2 p.m. ET - Zoom." The Michigan State University logo appears at the top.

Pursue your purpose through our COAMFTE-Accredited Ph.D. in Couple and Family Therapy. Join us for our virtual open house: spr.ly/63324AclEK #MSUHDFS #HDFS #MSUSocialScience

Group photo for HDFS Collective Empowerment Mentoring Program. Text includes: "JOIN!", "Human Development and Family Studies", "Kick-Off Event", and details for Oct 16, 4:30-6:00 PM at Human Ecology Building.

Join the HDFS Collective Empowerment Mentoring Program that connects undergrad mentees with grad student mentors, supported by HDFS faculty & staff to build a community! To sign up, email Jinny Han (jinnyhan@msu.edu) & RSVP for the kick-off event: spr.ly/63329AcupH.

Two smiling Black women in scrubs hold a Michigan State University flag reading "Spartans Will..." in front of "Building 9A Delivery Suite". A poster is on the door to their left.

A blonde woman surrounded by five Black children in purple and white checkered school uniforms. They are all hugging and smiling in a close group, outside a purple building.

Visit our booth TODAY 1-5PM at the MSU Education Abroad Expo to learn more about Child Development in an African Context: spr.ly/63325AiytD. #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience

A smiling woman with short brown hair and glasses, wearing a green sweater. Text overlay: "Dr. Megan Maas published her research, 'Sexual Misconduct Policies in Secondary Schools...' in the Journal of School Health."

A group of students are using mobile devices at school. The text states that cyberbullying and online sexual harassment are increasing during school hours and that little is being done to address it.

A boy wearing glasses relaxes against pillows while looking at his smartphone. Text: "To understand...reviewed exual misconduct policydocuments...finding only a minority had online sexual misconduct policies."

Two girls look at a phone. One wears a green hoodie with "ALWAYS CUT" and "always cool always positive" on it. Text at bottom: Implications from this research are that secondary school administrators should address online sexual misconduct.

Congrats to @dr-maas.bsky.social who published her research, “Sexual Misconduct Policies in Secondary Schools: A Mixed-Method Analysis of In-Person and Online Behaviors and Consequences” in the Journal of School Health: spr.ly/63328A9Kkr

Jessica Arvizu, a smiling woman with glasses and a Michigan State Spartans hoodie, is announced as part of the 2025 Homecoming Court. She has long brown hair and stands against an out-of-focus background of trees and flowers.

Meet Jessica — 2025 Homecoming Court Member and HDFS major! spr.ly/63326AwsAj
#MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience

Deja Young stands by her research poster: "Emotion as Legacy: Theoretical Insights into Parent-Emerging Adult Relationships in African American Families." The poster covers introduction, methods, and results.

Congrats to Deja Young on winning the 2025 Intervention Research in Systemic Family Therapy conference Student Poster Competition for her poster, “Emotion as Legacy: Theoretical Insights into Parent-Emerging Adult Relationships in African American Families" #MSUHDFS #HDFS

Majors & Minors | Department of Human Development and Family Studies | Michigan State University Department of Human Development and Family Studies

A major in human development and family studies prepares you for your career and the rest of your life. Learn more at our Sept. 24 open house in Room 9 Human Ecology, 2:30-4:00 or visit spr.ly/63322Ap05i #MSUHDFS #HDFS

Thank you to our alumni for hosting HDFS faculty and grad students at their annual tailgate and chili cook-off last weekend! Dr. Claire Vallotton’s chili took second place🌶️ #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience

Flyer for Michigan State University's Human Development & Family Studies program. It says "Pursue Your Purpose," and lists available majors and career paths. A picture shows two smiling nurses next to a baby.

A major in human development and family studies prepares you for many different careers. Learn more: spr.ly/63327ADrSR #MSUHDFS #HDFS #MSUSocialScience

Headshots of Simone Bibbs and Prince Owusu are featured. Text reads: 'University Outreach & Engagement Selects Grads 2025-2026 Urban Community Engagement Fellows Program'.

Congratulations to Simone Bibbs and Prince Owusu on their selection as 2025–2026 Urban Community Engagement Fellows Program! #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience

Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University Uploaded by MSUSocialScience on 2025-04-04.

Do you want to pursue a career of purpose? Make a difference in the lives of children, families and communities with a major in Human Development and Family Studies: spr.ly/63329f4Fcf

A graphic with the heading "A Check-List For student resources". It features resources such as "Counseling & Psychiatric Services", "MSU IT Services", "MSU Safe Place", and a link: https://hdfs.msu.edu/academics/undergraduate/resources.

Get to know the student resources available to you: spr.ly/63326fNmfa. #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience

Flyer for an HDFS Open House, with retro fonts and graphics. "OPEN HOUSE" is featured with "SNACKS • SWAG • COMMUNITY" below. The event is scheduled for Sept. 16, 18, & 24, from 2:30-4:00 in Room 9, Human Ecology Bldg.

Enjoy snacks and swag while you explore a major or minor in human development and family studies (HDFS), meet other majors, and learn about career paths and our close-knit community. #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience

Collage of people in fall activities: women sitting in a circle indoors, a man presenting with slides, and a woman and child sitting outside among fall foliage. The text says, 'Fall is here...'

Welcome to a new semester! Get connected:
Follow us on Facebook, X, BlueSky, Instagram and LinkedIn
Explore HDFS by attending one of our open houses: spr.ly/63324fFaaK
Connect with a friendly adviser: spr.ly/63329fFaaP
Check your inbox for your Motivational Monday email

Headshot of Drs. Lori Skibbe and Ryan Bowles with text, “NEW Partnership with MSU Innovation Center Boosting Early Childhood Literacy Assessment.”

Drs. Lori Skibbe and Ryan Bowles partnered with the MSU Innovation Center to create and share a new early literacy assessment. Read the full story: spr.ly/63328fvebQ #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience

A woman with long, straight blonde hair. She wears black clothing and a green beaded necklace. The text below her reads, 'Dr. Sarah Douglas selected as Fulbright Scholar' in white on a green background.

A woman with blurred facial features takes a selfie in front of a scenic water body and greenery. Text on the image states she will co-create and implement training for professionals on communication methods for children with developmental disabilities in South Africa.

A woman with long, straight blonde hair is gently hugging the neck of an adult elephant in a lush, green environment. Text on the image reads, 'Dr. Douglas has created several trainings in the US...' in bold, white letters.

A collage depicting various augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools. Text reads: 'For young children without speech we need communication partners who know how to best support their use of AAC.' Images include mobile apps, paper symbols, and a speech-generating device.

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Douglas on being selected as a Fulbright Scholar: spr.ly/63322fnuin. #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience #HDFS

Headshot of Claire Vallotton with media details.

Tune into ChilcagoNOW on Fox32 on Monday, July 28, 10:20 a.m. CDT to watch Dr. Claire Valloton's interview about the pros and cons of talking to babies like you talk to adults, and the benefits of “baby talk.” www.fox32chicago.com/live. #MSUHDFS #HDFS #MSUSocialScience

Headshot of Lori Skibbe with the article and journal title.

Congrats to @loriskibbe.bsky.social on her research, "Measurement invariance of the home literacy environment for preschoolers with and without speech and/or language impairment," published in Journal of Research in Reading: http://spr.ly/6332447heM #MSUHDFS #HDFS #MSUSocialScience

Headshot of Claire Vallotton with article title.

Should You Talk to Your Baby Like an Adult? Check out what Dr. Claire Vallotton recommended when interviewed by http://spr.ly/633224A6na: http://spr.ly/633284A6n2. #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience

Mid-Michigan woman wins NHL's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award Sarah Dunkel-Jackson founded the Hockey Challenge Camp. A camp that opens up the ice rink for athletes of all abilities. Her work on the ice recently won her the NHL Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award that's only given to one American and Canadian a year. Studio 10 airs every weekday at 3pm on WILX TV. Stay connected by subscribing, following and liking us on all of our socials. Facebook: WILXStudio10 Twitter: @WILXStudio10 Instagram: @WILXStudio10 TikTok: @WILXStudio10 Website: http://spr.ly/633274qjR7

Watch Dr. Sarah Dunkel-Jackson's interview with WILX about receiving the NHL's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award: http://spr.ly/633224qjr8 #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience

Headshot of Claire Vallotton with title of news story.

Dr. Claire Vallotton was interviewed by USA Today for news story "Millennial parents want to give their children a '90s kid summer. What does that mean?" Read her recommendations for parents: http://spr.ly/633284c1lA #MSUHDFS #HDFS #MSUSocialScience

Congrats Drs. Ryan Bowles, @loriskibbe.bsky.social & Yatma Diop (Ph.D. alumnus) on publishing “Within-group variability in communication style among caregivers & its relation to the language abilities of Wolof-learning toddlers in Senegal” in Developmental Psychology spr.ly/60174nazB

Today we celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the freedom of the last enslaved black Americans in the South. We celebrate how far we've come doing the work that equality & freedom require, & we connect to hope & determination for the work we all still have left to do. #MSUSocialScience

MSU’s Child Development Lab is making an exciting expansion to Lansing’s Eastside, bringing its top-tier early childhood education programs to a new state-of-the-art facility on Michigan Avenue. To read more, click here: buff.ly/yqXOZOZ

#ChildDevelopmentLab #EarlyChildhoodEd #LansingEastside

We are thrilled to announce that @lindachalgunseth.bsky.social will be the co-chair and assisted by #MSUHDFS & #YEP faculty for the next Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting in 2027, an event that draws attendees from countries throughout the world! #HDFS #MSUSocialScience

Congrats to Drs. Claire Vallotton & Holly Brophy-Herb on publishing "How are Early Head Start teachers’ professional development experiences associated with their work-related stress & qualities of teacher-child interactions?" in Early Childhood Research Quarterly: spr.ly/9188 #HDFS #MSUHDFS

🎉Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Dunkel-Jackson & Hockey Challenge Camp on receiving the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award! The NHL is donating $25,000 to The SAFE Challenge programs including Hockey Challenge Camp & Baseball Challenge League that MSU RADD Lab supports! #MSUHDFS #HDFS

Congrats to PhD student Sylvia Lin on being named #MSUSocialScience Access Torch for May Asian Pacific Desi Islander Heritage Month! Hear about her story & research which centers on ethnic-racial identity development among Asian-American youth: socialscience.msu.edu/news-events/... #MSUHDFS

Congratulations to Dr. @andreawittenborn.bsky.social on receiving the Southeast Missouri State University Dr. Bernard DuBray Lifetime Achievement Award! #MSUHDFS #MSUSocialScience