A Leader in Educational Psychology and Beyond

Assistant Professor Stephanie Del Tufo has been named to the Association for Psychological Sciences Board of Directors

Stephanie Del Tufo, assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) School of Education, the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Graduate College, has been elected to the Association for Psychological Sciences’ (APS) Board of Directors. APS is one of the leading international professional organizations for psychological scientists, representing researchers across all areas of the field.

Del Tufo’s research program examines the development of spoken and written language by integrating theories and methods from developmental psychology, cognitive neuroscience and education.  As director of the Developmental and Aging Neuroscience Education Laboratory at UD, she studies how biological and social experiences shape language development across the lifespan. Supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Spencer Foundation and the Mind Science Foundation, her work has appeared in Science, Neuron, Cerebral Cortex and the Journal of Neuroscience. Outside of higher education, Del Tufo’s work and expertise has been highlighted by The Conversation, Time Magazine, The New York Times, the BBC, Delaware Public Media and EdSurge, among others.

“My research sits at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychology, aligning with APS’s commitment to integrative science,” Del Tufo said. “But my interest goes beyond my own subdiscipline. Through my work with Women in Cognitive Science (WiCS+) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), I see how professional societies can either open up space for emerging researchers or quietly close it off. For early-career scientists, the stakes of that choice have never been higher. This is not the moment to protect what exists. It is the moment to do what APS does best—build, while others batten the hatches.”

In line with her commitment to supporting emerging researchers, Del Tufo also serves as an Early Career Representative on an American Association for the Advancement of Science Steering Committee. She also recently created a webinar for Women in Cognitive Science, supporting early-career scientists navigating the job market. In recognition of the impact and promise of her own early career, Del Tufo was recognized as an APS Rising Star in 2023.

At UD, she teaches within the School of Education’s Ph.D. in education program, as well as the Graduate College’s Ph.D. in interdisciplinary neuroscience program.

To learn more about CEHD research in literacy and language or the social determinants of health, visit its research webpage.

Article by Jessica Henderson. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Del Tufo.