The Department of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Rhode Island is committed to promoting healthy development across the lifespan through prevention, education, and collaboration. Our undergraduate and graduate programs are designed to emphasize experiential learning, offering a variety of real-world opportunities in the human services, working with children, adolescents, older adults, families, and communities.
The Human Development and Family Science (HDF) department is dedicated to advancing the understanding of the lifespan across diverse contexts, emphasizing the impact of varied perspectives and social marginalization on individuals and families over time. Central to HDF’s mission is the belief that diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are foundational values essential to achieving its core goals in education, research, and service.
We have established the following goals to achieve this vision:
- Develop recruitment and retention programs for students from diverse backgrounds and underserved and marginalized groups;
- Grow the base of HDF faculty and staff who bring diverse perspectives and backgrounds that inform their teaching, research, and service;
- Expand HDF teaching, research, and service efforts focused on inclusion, equity, accessibility, social justice, and diversity.