Research Spotlight: Ruth E. Fleury-Steiner
May 27, 2026
Though the immediate disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic have passed, the six-year anniversary of the event’s onset allows medical professionals, community support organizations and researchers to analyze the pandemic’s challenges and better prepare for the future. University of Delaware Associate Professor Ruth E. Fleury-Steiner has taken up this charge in …
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Supporting LGBTQ+ Communities through Innovative Research
May 22, 2026
With a specialization in LGBTQ+ development, University of Delaware Assistant Professor Eric Layland often works to support LGBTQ+ well-being through research and affirmative community interventions. That’s one reason why he partnered with UD colleagues across the university to host the inaugural LGBTQ+ Research Symposium in May 2026. “Rigorous research shows …
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Research Spotlight: Jingwen Zhou and Stephanie Del Tufo
April 29, 2026
Mental illness is among one of the most common health conditions in the U.S., with over one in five adults living with a mental illness. Many of these individuals are parents — more than one in 14 children are in the care of an adult living with a mental illness. …
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Steele Symposium 2026
April 10, 2026
This April, the University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) will host the Marion H. Steele Research Symposium to share and celebrate the innovative research of its undergraduate and graduate students in education, human development and related disciplines. This year’s annual event will take place from 12:30 …
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Cultivating Purpose Across the Lifespan
February 17, 2026
By February, most people have already given up on their New Year’s resolutions. But, developing a strong purpose in life—the ability to find meaning and direction in your life—might be one that’s worth some extra time and attention. Research has found that a strong purpose in life significantly protects health …
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Purpose Matters
January 27, 2026
New Year’s resolutions, like drinking more water or getting more exercise, aren’t the only ways to bolster health and well-being. University of Delaware Assistant Professor Heather Farmer has found that a strong sense of purpose in life — the ability to find meaning and direction in your life — significantly protects health …
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Changing the Stories of Substance Use
January 7, 2026
Dan Sweeney has watched family members struggle with substance use and addiction, and is in recovery himself, so he knows that these waters are choppy. Now Sweeney is using his experience to support others in charting their own paths to recovery by sharing the right messages and resources that are …
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Building Connections and Community
December 16, 2025
As a young person with experience in the foster care system, University of Delaware graduate student William Woelki understands firsthand how important it is to support youth with foster care experience. The instability that youth often face in the foster care system — from access to food, school, housing and …
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Research Spotlight: Elizabeth Farley-Ripple
November 20, 2025
School leaders—like assistant principals, principals and superintendents—often determine how educational research is used in planning, decision-making and implementing initiatives that improve students’ academic or developmental outcomes. Yet, not all education doctorate (Ed.D.) programs—which lead to the highest attainable degree for school leaders—focus on understanding and using research to examine practical …
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Supporting Delaware Communities
October 30, 2025
With specialized training in human development, human services and social systems, social workers are uniquely positioned to support communities in times of crisis or challenging life changes. And the need for social workers is growing, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting about 74,700 openings across the nation each …
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Making an impact in the lives of LGBTQ+ students
October 29, 2025
As a queer person who once struggled with their mental health, University of Delaware graduate student Lauren Dombrowski keenly understands how important it is to support LGBTQ+ youth in schools. As a high schooler, Dombrowski created a website with mental health resources for their LGBTQ+ peers, placing QR codes on …
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Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ Youth
October 10, 2025
During adolescence—a period defined by rapid physical, emotional and social development—LGBTQ+ youth often grapple with the decision to “come out” to their family or friends and disclose their gender and/or sexual identities. As University of Delaware research has shown, many LGBTQ+ young people avoid coming out, fearing rejection, social isolation …
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