In The News

Positive Change for the Well-Being of Women and Children

UConn Today and the APA Monitor profiled Associate Professor Preston Britner's child abuse prevention research and policy work with the American Psychological Association (APA) Working Group on Child Maltreatment Prevention in Community Health Centers.

Media coverage of some of Associate Professor Preston Britner's efforts as Co-Chair of the UConn 2009 Metanoia Planning Committee ("Preventing Violence Against Women") included a UConn Today article, President Hogan's blog, and a Daily Campus article.

Helping Kids Cope In a Bad Economy

HDFS Associate Professor Maureen Mulroy's article Helping Kids Cope In a Bad Economy is published in Connecticut 4-H Newsletter (Volume 11, Number 1). Mulroy explainsthe most important thing parents can do is to talk with their children about the financial crisis in terms they can understand and in a away that won't frighten them. As one would expect - different ages require different approaches. Click here to read the article.

CLAS Commencement

HDFS AssociateProfessor Preston Britner placed a sash on Timothy Shriver during the graduation for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, on Sunday, May 10, 2009. Shriver, Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics and a 1997 graduate of UConn, gave the commencement address for 2,500 students who received their degrees in two ceremonies that afternoon. Shriver received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
See commencement photos in the Journal Inquirer.

Children's Fears Are Changing With The Times

Preston Britner, Associate Professor and Associate Department Head for graduate studies at the University of Connecticut, said what's causing these fears is only partly due to the increased exposure children are getting in television and media.
Read more about this story in the April 29, 2009 edition of The Stamford Times.

Human Development & Family Studies Professor Specializes in Assessment, Measurement

Ronald Sabatelli describes his interests as eclectic.

"I've conducted research on many different aspects of human development and the family," says Sabatelli, professor and head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "It's a fascinating field."

Read more about this story in the April 13, 2009 edition of the UConn Advance.

Laura Donorfio Recieves AAUP Award

HDFS Assistant Professor Laura Donorfio, and Assistant Professor Stephanie Milan from the Department of Psychology, are recipients of the 2009 AAUP Excellence Award for Teaching Promise. At a formal presentation held on April 2, 2009, the award recipients were extended sincere congratulations and deep appreciation from their colleagues and students for such outstanding work.

Family Studies Professor Helps Students Understand Aging

HDFS Assistant Professor Laura Donorfio describes her teaching philosophy as practical pedagogy.

Laura explains, "It’s not just the content area that I try to get across, I want students to understand what they can do with that content and theory once they graduate and go out into the real world. I teach them how the course material is relevant to their everyday lives, their families, and their communities, and how they can use it in their careers."
Read more about this story in the February 23, 2009 edition of the UConn Advance.

More Research Needed to Improve Care for Older Adults with Cancer

HDFS Assistant Professor Keith Bellizzi explains his research in a recent interveiw with the UConn Advance. Understanding the special needs of older adults with cancer and how the disease and related treatment impacts their physical, emotional, and social health is an area that deserves immediate exploration, he says. Read more of Keith's interview in the February 17, 2009 issue of the UConn Advance.

Keith Bellizzi was also featured in 40 Under 40, a special edition of UCONN magazine.

Ronald Sabatelli Named Editor of Family Relations

The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) has appointed Professor Ronald Sabatelli, Ph.D., University of Connecticut, as editor of the NCFR journal Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies.

Dr. Sabatelli, Professor and Department Head of Human Development and Family Studies, is a 32-year member of NCFR. He begins his duties this year as he sets up the Family Relations editorial office at the university and begins to accept manuscripts for the 2010 volume of the journal.

NCFR President Maxine Hammonds-Smith praised the choice. "It is a pleasure for me, on behalf of the Board of Directors, to extend congratulations to Ronald Sabatelli for accepting the editorship of Family Relations. With Ron's commitment and service to NCFR and his dedication to the profession, we are confident that he will maintain the high quality of our world class journal. We are tipping our hats to Dr. Sabatelli," she said.

Hammonds-Smith also commended the work of current editor Joyce Arditti, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Human Development at Virginia Tech. "We thank Joyce for her strong leadership in maintaining the high standards we have for our journals," the President said. Dr. Arditti's four-year term runs through the December 2008 issue.

Couple Aims to Strengthen Families

Jeanne H. Bartman '43 and Raymond Bartman, Jr. '41 decided that they wanted to make a difference in family studies. The Bartman Scholarship in Family Studies was created for sophomores, juniors and seniors who need financial assistance and are committed to helping families cope with the challenges they face. Read more about this story in the Fall, 2008 edition of the Momentum, a publication from the UConn Foundation.

Family Studies Professor Named Honors Council Faculty Member of the Year

HDFS Professor Steve Wisensale was recognized for his efforts last spring when honors students selected him as Honors Council Faculty Member of the Year. The award recognizes an honors faculty member for his or her exemplary work in providing an exceptional educational experience for honors students. Read more about this story in the September 22, 2008 edition of the UConn Advance.