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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
Kelly Chandler and Kathryn Stroppel presented research and insights on work-life fit and workplace flexibility at an OSU PCOSW supervisor empowerment event.
HDFS doctoral student Sara King is one of 24 scholars selected worldwide for the 2026 EADP-EARA-SRA International Summer School in the Netherlands.
David Rothwell has received a competitive Russell Sage Foundation grant to study how paid family leave policies affect mothers' employment and use of public assistance in Oregon.
Megan McClelland moderated a Children & Screens national panel on self-regulation and joined a PBS Kids school readiness webinar, sharing her expertise in human development and family sciences.
Megan McClelland and colleagues published two new studies on early childhood self-regulation and executive function, including research spanning Poland, Iran and the United States.
OSU's Early Learning Systems Initiative was featured in the Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion 2026 Impact Report for training thousands of early childhood professionals and strengthening family engagement across Oregon.