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Human Development and Family Sciences
Human Development and Family Sciences
Nurture lives, transform futures
Corvallis Campus
Ecampus
OSU-Cascades
Study human development and family sciences at Oregon State
Change the world for the better — one person, family and community at a time.
Discover how lives and relationships develop within the context of family, school, work and society.
Use and create scientific knowledge to help people live their healthiest, most successful and resilient lives.
Marilyn Thompson, PhD
School Head, Human Development and Family Sciences
“In HDFS, we study not only how people grow and develop individually and in diverse family structures, but also in social environments such as schools, workplaces and communities. There isn’t a single person who doesn’t grow up in some kind of structural and cultural environment that is central to their lives, and that is one of the most interesting things about the field.
HDFS is about centering health and well-being in promoting healthy development through the lifespan. HDFS is fundamental to understanding and supporting positive growth, learning and development in the context of families and our multifaceted social structures.”
HDFS news and stories
The HDFS Club volunteered at Vina Moses on Dec. 6 and launched its Giving Tree Toy Drive to support families in need.
David Rothwell, Knudson Chair in Family Policy and associate professor of human development and family sciences, spoke with The Oregonian about the implications of “Trump Accounts” on child well-being across Oregon.
Mary Arnold co-edited a new volume that brings together scholars and practitioners to bridge research and practice in positive youth development.
Professor Emerita Carolyn Aldwin received the Distinguished Lifetime Career Award from the Society for the Study of Human Development, recognizing her decades of influential research on stress, coping, aging and health.
Learn how ADD and ADHD affect your child's brain and discover practical parenting strategies to help them thrive. Build on their strengths while supporting their unique needs.
Megan McClelland, Katherine E. Smith Healthy Children and Families Professor in the School of Human Development and Family Sciences and Endowed Director of the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children & Families in the College of Health, will deliver two talks at an invitation-only workshop hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris on Oct. 15, 2025.