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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Research Spotlight: Eric Layland
October 10, 2025
National Coming Out Day continues to be a reminder that LGBTQ+ individuals make a brave decision to disclose their identities to family, friends and community members. Many LGBTQ+ people experience mental health symptoms due to ongoing discrimination, and Delaware adolescents are especially at risk. In one of the first studies …
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CEHD Welcomes New Faculty Members in Social Work
September 3, 2025
This fall, the University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) welcomes two new faculty members specializing in social work. These faculty members bolster CEHD’s masters of social work (MSW) program, deepening the college’s existing expertise in supporting vulnerable communities and children, youth and families. Abram J. Lyons …
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Purpose and Health
August 25, 2025
During National Wellness Month this August, many people are taking the time to drink more water, reconsider their exercise routines or prioritize their mental health. As a double major in human services and psychology, supporting the well-being of their community members is often top of mind for University of …
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In the News: Allison Karpyn on Accessing Healthy Food through WIC
December 12, 2022
Allison Karpyn, associate professor in CEHD’s Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, offers new insight into how state regulations affect families’ access to healthy food. In “USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Vendor Criteria: An Examination of U.S. Administrative Agency Variations,” Karpyn and …
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Research Spotlight: Dr. Heather Farmer
November 29, 2022
In a recent study, UD Assistant Professor Heather Farmer, and Pennsylvania State University co-authors Linda Wray and Steven Haas, analyzed data from 6,521 Black and white respondents aged 51 and older participating in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative sample of midlife and older adults. Among older Americans, …
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Accessing Healthy Food and Beverages
March 29, 2022
Where can families experiencing food insecurity buy healthy food and beverages? The answer to this question is more complicated than you may expect, and it changes depending on the state or territory in which the family lives. Participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), …
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Fighting Coronavirus Misinformation
November 9, 2020
The World Health Organization calls the spread of false information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) an “infodemic,” and the results are broadly visible across society. The refusal of some people to wear a mask or socially distance, or self-quarantine when exposed to the virus, is often motivated by false information or …
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