ISU Department of Human Development & Family Studies - HDFS

09/11/2026

Kinda chic to want to help people and families. 💕

09/09/2026

🌟 New faculty spotlight! 🌟

Kristie Kuhse brings more than 3 decades of experience to the department.

Welcome to HDFS, Professor Kuhse.

09/07/2026

Labor Day is a time to recognize the people who make a difference through their work. Today, we're highlighting an HDFS student whose internship helped support and strengthen the community she served. Happy Labor Day!

08/28/2026

What can decades of research teach us about family relationships? Quite a lot.

HDFS Professor Tricia Neppl and doctoral student Jannatul Ferdous Zinia recently joined Iowa Public Radio’s Talk of Iowa to discuss their research from the Family Transitions Project, one of the nation’s most extensive longitudinal studies of family life.

Their recent study examines how tension between parents and adolescent children can have effects that extend decades into adulthood, offering valuable insight into how family relationships can shape lives across the life course.

For decades, Iowa State’s HDFS researchers have been building knowledge that helps us better understand families, relationships and human development.

🎧 Listen to Neppl and Zinia’s Talk of Iowa conversation to hear more about what this research is revealing: https://www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/talk-of-iowa/2026-08-11/isu-study-observes-parent-teen-relationships-over-decades

08/24/2026

Welcome to the Fall 2026 semester!

As a new academic year begins, Iowa State President David Cook shares a special welcome from the outdoor learning lab atop the nearly completed LeBaron Hall. Built to support creativity, collaboration and hands-on learning, the reimagined building represents the next chapter for the College of Health and Human Sciences. We can't wait to see how new and returning students use these spaces to build connections, pursue big ideas and make an impact this fall and beyond!

As Iowa State begins a new academic year, President David Cook refl...

07/17/2026

Take the next step in your career with an online Early Childhood and Family Policy graduate certificate. Through four flexible, 8-week courses, deepen your understanding of how policies shape health care, education, and mental health while building skills to advocate for lasting change for young children and their families. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4uRpAc4.

07/16/2026

The teenage years can be challenging for every family. But what if those moments of conflict shaped family relationships decades into the future?

New research, co-authored by our very own Tricia Neppl, suggests they can.

Drawing on more than 35 years of data from the nationally recognized Family Transitions Project, HDFS researchers found that the quality of parent-teen relationships can influence family connections well into adulthood and even affect relationships between grandparents and grandchildren.

The findings serve as an important reminder that the patience, communication and support we invest in young people today can strengthen families for generations to come.

Read the full story: https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/long-shadow-short-fuse

07/14/2026

Lead in personal and family financial planning with an online graduate certificate from Iowa State University. Expand your opportunities in financial services, banking, insurance, retirement planning, and more. Your next step is here ➡ https://bit.ly/4uMSeLr

07/10/2026

Truth! 💯

07/09/2026

📣 We're hiring!

The Iowa State University Child Development Laboratory School is seeking a dedicated Early Childhood Teacher to join one of our preschool classrooms.

We're looking for candidates with a current Iowa teaching license in:
• Early Childhood Education
• Early Childhood Special Education
• Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Education endorsement

This position offers the opportunity to provide exceptional early childhood education while collaborating with HDFS faculty, students, and partners across campus in support of the Lab School's teaching, research, and service mission.

If you know someone who would thrive in this role, please share this opportunity with your network. Together, we can help shape the next generation of learners and educators.

Click the link to learn more about the position: https://bit.ly/4gv51Pc