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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CEHD Faculty Receive General University Research Grants
June 25, 2020
Twelve University of Delaware professors, including three in the School of Education and one in the Department of Human Development & Family Sciences, have won General University Research grants to work on a broad range of projects, from reducing mealtime stress for families with autistic children, to using artificial intelligence …
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Breaking Down Stigma
April 1, 2020
Stigma creates barriers that stifle the health and well-being of marginalized communities. Social stigma toward people struggling with substance use disorders (SUDs) has hindered the response to the opioid crisis in the United States, where addiction among some populations continues to be treated as a moral failing rather than a …
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Defending Equal Access to Food
December 19, 2019
As head of the U.S. Food Administration, Herbert Hoover created the “Clean Plate” campaign during World War I to encourage Americans to conserve resources by using less, reducing waste and “cleaning their plate at every meal.” President Harry Truman helped revive this practice in elementary schools in the wake of …
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NIH grant will study of stigma surrounding drug use
October 20, 2017
Valerie Earnshaw, UD’s CEHD Faculty Scholar, received a 4-year Mentored Research Scientist Development Award from the NIH to examine longitudinal associations between disclosure, stigma, social support, and SUD recovery-related outcomes among people receiving SUD treatment.
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