Human Development and Family Studies About Our Department Enhancing Healthy Development
We examine societal and developmental challenges faced by children, families, and our aging population and train students to meet these challenges in a variety of human service and health settings.
From the Department Head Welcome to Human Development and Family Studies
As the new head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, I want to express my enthusiasm for the great work taking place here! HDFS at CSU is such a vibrant department that tackles some of the most important questions we face as a society. In HDFS, we study how people develop physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally. We focus on the importance of contexts such as family, school, community, and the broader culture. And we take an inclusive and multi-cultural approach in our work. Many of our projects create and evaluate programs and interventions that are designed to help people across the lifespan and from all walks of life.
We work closely with our graduate and undergraduate students and provide them with enriching course work and impactful hands-on experiences. Our students are mentored by some of the best faculty in the field who can help students navigate research and community-oriented settings. I am truly proud to be a part of the department’s mission to enhance healthy development across the lifespan and to engage our students in this critically important process!
– Julie Braungart-Rieker, Ph.D.

Human Development and Family Studies Who We Are
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