HDFS faculty are interested in how contexts outside the family affect individual development, exploring both proximal contexts that individuals experience directly and distal contexts that affect individuals indirectly. In some instances, contexts are closely tied to the physical settings in which individuals spend their time, such as schools, neighborhoods or workplaces, while in other cases contexts are not defined by a particular physical space but instead are manifested in social trends and opportunities or societal stratification, including socioeconomic resources, the media, family or social policy.
Maria Arredondo
- Assistant Professor
Dr. Arrendondo will not be reviewing doctoral applications for admission in the 2026-2027 academic year.
Aprile Benner
- Professor
Dr. Benner is reviewing applications for doctoral students for academic year 26-27.
Mateo Farina
- Assistant Professor
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences
Dr. Farina is reviewing applications for doctoral students for academic year 26-27.
Elizabeth Gershoff
- Professor
- Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Amy Johnson McLaughlin Centennial Professorship in Home Economics
Deborah Jacobvitz
- Professor
- Phyllis L. Richards Endowed Professor in Child Development
Su Yeong Kim
- Professor
Dr. Kim is reviewing applications for new Ph.D. students to start in Fall 2028. Application will open in August 2027, and deadline is December 1, 2027.
Jeffrey J. Lockman
- Professor
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences
Accepting new Ph.D.students to start in Fall 2026.
Application deadline is Dec 1, 2025.
Elma Lorenzo-Blanco
- Associate Professor
Seeking undergraduate student research assistants for course credit or on a volunteer basis. See profile for more details.
Dr. Lorenzo-Blanco is not admitting a graduate student for the 2026/2027 admissions cycle. Applications are due on Dec 1st.
Elizabeth Muñoz
- Associate Professor
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences
Dr. Muñoz is not accepting new Ph.D. students.
Lisa Neff
- Professor
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences
Dr. Neff is reviewing applications for doctoral students for academic year 27-28.
Nicole Perry
- Assistant Professor
Dr. Perry is not accepting doctoral students for academic year 27-28.
Gabriela Livas
- Professor
- Department Chair for Human Development and Family Sciences
Priscilla Pond Flawn Regents Professors in Child Development
Fatima Varner
- Associate Professor
I am not recruiting graduate students for Fall 2026.