Human Development & Family Science News
Mindfulness at Syracuse University Transforms Student’s Experience
By Emma Henzes ’20
Mindfulness is more than just a minor to Mollie Adolf. It changed her experience at Syracuse University.
Following the end of her freshman year, Mollie went to a residential treatment center for an eating disorder, something she had struggled with for seven years in the past. During her first year at Syracuse, her mental health suffered, leaving her with a decision on whether or not to come back to finish her education at Syracuse University. After successfully completing her recovery program, which had a heavy focus on mindfulness, spirituality and yoga, Mollie knew she needed a resource on campus that was mindfulness- or yoga-based upon returning to school.
Early in the fall of her sophomore year, she declared a minor in Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies, offered through Falk College’s Department of Human Development and Family Science. She felt it was key to maintaining her recovery. “It was like I was still in treatment in many ways. The classes brought me that same comfort,” Mollie said. Many of the mindfulness classes require practicing meditation multiple times a week and reporting back to the professor. “Along with meditation classes, I’ve gotten to take classes on how we cope with anxiety, how our childhood traumas reveal themselves in the ways we cope, whether those coping skills are healthy or unhealthy.” All of these topics were already of interest to Mollie as someone who has been practicing yoga and mindfulness since she was a young girl.
Mollie loves the opportunity to take unique classes like holistic healing and creative writing classes through the minor. During her time abroad in Sydney, Australia, she took a course on Buddhism that counted for her mindfulness minor. She has taken child and family studies classes wherein she learned about childhood trauma and its impact on human development. Mollie felt Dr. Diane Grimes’ Mindful Communication class brought her many useful skills as a communicator. “Dr. Grimes focuses her classes on social justice and combines her communication and mindfulness background to bring all of those subjects together.” Every class begins with yoga and meditation, then studying communication theory and how it relates to being mindful in terms of how people communicate and engage with one another, whether they approach interactions with empathy and humility, or defensiveness and stubbornness.
“Mindfulness keeps me in touch with myself. Having my mindfulness minor keeps me accountable, and has motivated me to continue practicing mindfulness outside of the classroom,” Mollie said.
Now, as a senior, Mollie emphasizes the transformation in her experience freshman year to sophomore year at Syracuse. “Having this minor changed the way I engage with this campus, and changed the way I see myself. It’s much easier to remain steadfast in my commitment to recovery when I have a whole community of peers and professors who inform me about mindfulness resources, retreats, speakers and the like through my minor.” Through the Buddhism Club, Mollie and other students traveled to a Buddhist monastery for a weekend and lived among monks, adapting to their lifestyle of mediation, discipline and simplicity. Mollie has also participated in SoulScape through Syracuse University, a weekend retreat that features activities and group exercises focused on purpose, gratitude and vulnerability. Mollie was selected to teach a yoga class this year at SoulScape.
Continuing her passion for mindfulness, Mollie teaches yoga classes at the Barnes Center three times a week. Her classes focus on mental health and using physical postures to work through mental blockages. “Certain parts of the body correlate to our inner world. The chakras, or energy centers, in our body range from feeling grounded, trusting and stable all the way to our sense of mysticism, spirituality, and enlightenment. It’s this mind-body connection I didn’t let myself feel for most of my life,” Mollie said. During National Eating Disorder Week, Mollie’s class’s theme was ‘body prayer,’ complete with postures relating to self-love and confidence, forgiving and being gentle with ourselves and our bodies, and a public playlist on Spotify titled Body Prayer. “The intention behind this theme is to think about how we speak to ourselves and how we treat our bodies. I know first hand how much room for self-abuse there is in exercise, and a big part of my relationship with yoga was this reconciliation of using physical movement to love myself and not to punish myself. I’m sure some people sign up for my class with an intention to ‘better themselves’ physically. Ultimately I want people to leave with a different perspective on exercise,” Mollie explained.
She plans on using her minor in her future. Mollie suggested that any major can benefit from the skills that mindfulness gave her. As a Television, Radio and Film major at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Mollie feels her minor helps her be a better communicator and a better person. She plans to pursue comedy writing after graduation, as well as continuing her role as a yoga instructor. Mollie spent her senior fall semester at Syracuse’s Los Angeles campus interning for Apatow Productions. Her Mindfulness minor and TRF major came together here. Judd Apatow had just finished producing ‘The Zen Diaries of Gary Shandling,” a documentary on a comedian in the Jerry Seinfield era. The documentary traced the comedian’s relationship with Zen Buddhism, mediation and mindfulness and how that affected his comedy writing. “It was so interesting to see someone who had been a very successful comedian incorporate both of those things into his life,” Mollie said. “I don’t have a clear-cut plan, but I see there is a lot of room for both of those worlds to come together.”
Mollie says she is open to sharing her personal story because she wants other students to realize the benefits of mindfulness classes. “I am part of a community at Syracuse that revolves around physical movement, body and ultimately transformation. I have the privilege as a teacher to change the narrative and hopefully inspire my peers to approach exercise in a non-self-destructive way.”
For opportunities to study and practice mindfulness, visit the Syracuse University Contemplative Collaborative, an initiative that supports students, faculty and staff who engage in contemplative practices, as well as teaching strategies, scholarly research, and discourse surrounding these practices, with the goal of cultivating focused attention in ways that foster insight and deepen understanding of complex issues.
Human development, addictions studies are the base for Falk senior’s social work career
In her hometown of New Haven, Connecticut, senior Rachel Brennan ’20 was encouraged to join the Orange family when she heard alumni talk about their time at Syracuse University. The academic disciplines in Falk College convinced Brennan that Syracuse University was the place for her. “I remember sitting at an informational meeting about the College and thinking that I was interested in every single major offered,” she adds.
As a senior human development and family science major with a minor in addiction studies, Brennan’s time at Syracuse University has given her exciting experiences both far and near—from study abroad in Sydney, Australia at the University of New South Wales, to a summer internship at Yale University’s Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH).
Brennan, who plans to pursue a Master of Social Work degree and a career in social work, originally enrolled as a social work major. But she discovered a different path to graduate school. “After reading the courses offered in Human Development and Family Science (HDFS), I decided to switch my major. I believed the HDFS courses would give me a great foundation in understanding theory and practice when working with children and families that I could then apply to my social work graduate study and field placement,” explains Brennan.
Following her gut helped Brennan discover a passion for research, inspired by her coursework. “I was interested in researching the current opioid crisis after taking multiple courses focused on drug use,” she says. “I had gained a concrete understanding on the impact substances have on the brain through my rigorous courses, and I was drawn to learning more about the impact using opioids can have on an individual’s personal life and overall emotional wellbeing.”
As an intern in the PRCH, Brennan interviewed individuals recovering from opioid addictions. The study examined the effectiveness of different treatments for substance use disorders provided Connecticut Department of Mental Health. “The interview packet was extensive and asked personal questions about how their addiction took form, if they have co-occurring disorders, and if their substance use impacted relationships with their loved ones,” Brennan explains.
“Working hands-on with people struggling with substance use disorders was a powerful experience and I hope to continue researching the impact of addiction on children and families throughout my graduate studies and future career,” Brennan adds.
After graduation, Brennan plans to pursue a Master of Social Work following a clinical track. “I hope to work in out-patient mental health clinics while working towards my LCSW,” she says. “My end goal is to eventually have my own private therapy practice where I work with children and families impacted by addiction and other traumatic experiences.”
Helpful resources for students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mental Health
Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak, World Health Organization, March 18, 2020.
Coping in the era of coronavirus: A webinar for students, American Psychological Association, March 30, 2020.
Podcast series, Speaking Psychology – this audio podcast series highlights the latest, most important and relevant psychological research, American Psychological Association.
Helping children cope with stress during COVID-19, World Health Organization.
Coping with COVID-19, The National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Public Health
Public Health Resources, National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
Answering Your Young Child’s Questions About Coronavirus, Zero to Three.
When A Family Member has COVID-19: A Guide for Children, John Hopkins Children’s Center.
Helping Kids Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic, Mayo Clinic.
What Parents Can Tell Children About Coronavirus, Vanderbilt Health.
5 Ways to Help Your Child During the COVID-19 Outbreak, Association of Child Life Professionals.
Helping Children Cope with Emergencies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), The American Academy of Pediatrics.
Activities and Information for Children and Families
Mindfulness Information for Families, Prepared by Rachel Razza, Ph.D., 4/8/2020.
Coronavirus Educational Coloring Pamphlet for Children, Association of Child Life Professionals.
Coping with COVID-19: A Workbook for Kids and Teens, Association of Child Life Professionals.
COVID-19 Activity Book, John Hopkins Children’s Center.
My COVID-19 Time Capsule Activity Book, NBC4 WCMH-TV.
In a Time of Crisis, Play is the Work of a Child, Blake Griffin Edwards, Psychology Today.
DIY Ways to Meet a Child’s Sensory Needs at Home, Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation.
Science Experiments for Kids, CuriOdyssey Science Playground and Zoo.
Tinker Around Your House, Exploratorium.
Online Storytime, New York Public Library
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Get Help, The National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Falk senior’s teaching fellowship was “unexpectedly challenging, tirelessly engaging, and utterly rewarding”
Tyler Ashley Smith ’20 thought Syracuse University was the perfect fit—but not for the reasons she was expecting. “When I was applying to colleges, I wanted to be close to a big city and figured that Syracuse University would be close to New York City,” says Smith. “When I finally visited campus, I discovered two things: One, it was definitely not close to the big city. And two, the spirit on campus was completely infectious and I knew I wanted to spend my four years here.”
She enrolled, certain that she wanted to become a writer—that is, until she heard about Falk College’s human development and family science program. “I switched my major and began a new and exciting journey that little did I know, would shape my passions and intentions for after school.”
During her time in Falk College as a human development and family science major, Smith has explored new interests, learning about herself and others through applied learning experiences, from her hometown to Hong Kong.
As a junior, Smith traveled to Hong Kong for a semester and interned at Mother’s Choice, a non-profit that works with pregnant teens and children without families. “While I was there, I engaged in and produced some of the most meaningful work I have done in my life,” says Smith. “I conducted observation-based research and built a new culturally-aware, developmentally-sound Early Intervention Model that addresses the quality of transition from Hong Kong to Western homes for Mother’s Choice to use in their future adoptions with Western families.”
“My biggest takeaway was that although there was a major language barrier at times, the power of matched passion overcame any difficulty of understanding each other’s words,” she adds.
In Summer 2019, Smith took an opportunity closer to home: a three-month Teaching Fellowship with Generation Teach in Denver, Colorado, her hometown. “I applied on a whim and got an offer to teach seventh-grade reading and improv acting,” she said. “To describe my experience in a few words: unexpectedly challenging, tirelessly engaging, and utterly rewarding.”
Much like she stumbled across a new major at Syracuse University, Smith says this fellowship opened her eyes to a new career passion she didn’t know she had. “I knew I wanted to work with kids but was unsure about the medium in which I would do so. From the three short months I fellowed with Generation Teach, I developed a sound passion for leading a classroom and connecting with students.”
Smith’s time with Generation Teach opened doors to new opportunities after graduation, she says, including a K-5 full-time teaching position at a public charter school in Denver. “I am ecstatic to lean in and grow even more in the field of education,” she says. “I am beyond thankful for the connections and resources that Syracuse University and Falk College have introduced to me. I simply could not have experienced the internships, fellowships, and more without this program.”
Learn more information about Human Development and Family Science.
2020 HDFS Student Awards
Our award-winning students make us all proud!
We are excited to recognize the work of our top undergraduate and graduate students, and it is important to us that these high-achieving students not only understand their worth within our department and Syracuse University but also their great value to our communities and our world. We are training the next generation of world changers.
The HDFS Student Awards yearly recognize Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) students for their achievements in service, scholarship, and leadership. The following students have shown excellence in all of these areas.
Undergraduate Awards
Christine Kudrewicz – Recipient of the Bernice M. Wright Memorial Award 2020
This award is given to an outstanding undergraduate student in Human Development and Family Science given in memory of Bernice M. Wright, former Dean of the College for Human Development (1964-1973).
Kelly Saxton – Recipient of the Shannon Davis Memorial Award 2020
This award is presented to an undergraduate senior student in Human Development and Family Science with a demonstrated interest in child development whose academic, aesthetic and professional interests most closely embody that of Shannon Davis, a student who died in the crash of Flight 103 in Scotland.
Christine Kudrewicz – Recipient of the Elizabeth Manwell Memorial Award 2020
This award is given to the outstanding senior student of Human Development and Family Science with the highest academic average in their major.
Rachel Brennan – Recipient of the Selleck Award 2020
This award is presented to the senior student in Human Development and Family Science with the highest cumulative GPA.
Halimeh Abdel-Aziz – Recipient of the Ruth Tolley Award 2020
This award honors Ruth Tolley from the Women of the University Community and presented to a female senior in Human Development and Family Science who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.
Ashley Homer – Recipient of the Betty Reid Memorial Award 2020
This award was established by the New York State Federation of Home Bureaus in honor of Elizabeth L. Reid and presented to a student in Human Development and Family Science who is a resident of New York State, residing in an organized county of the home bureau. The award is based on scholarship and is traditionally awarded to upperclassmen entering their junior or senior year.
Outstanding HDFS students with the highest GPA
Elizabeth Helana Flaherty – Recipient of the Outstanding HDFS Freshman Student Award 2020
Catalina Maria Mac Laughlin – Recipient of the Outstanding HDFS Sophomore Student Award 2020
Halimeh Abdel-Aziz – Recipient of the Outstanding HDFS Junior Student Award 2020
Claire Cooke – Recipient of the Outstanding HDFS Senior Student Award 2020
Graduate Awards
Rodlyn Remina Hines – Recipient of Graduate School – All-University Doctoral Prize
Awarded by the Graduate School to recognize superior achievement in completed dissertations. Given to one dissertation in each of the Colleges constituting the University.
Odetta Odartey Addo – Recipient of Outstanding Graduate School Teaching Assistant
The Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award recognizes Teaching Assistants (TAs) who have made distinguished contributions to Syracuse University by demonstrating excellence in significant instructional capacities, such as classroom teaching, laboratory or studio instruction, leading recitation or discussion sections, or assisting senior faculty members with high-enrollment courses. TAs are nominated by their departments and must present a teaching portfolio for review by a University-wide faculty selection committee.
Dickson Ong’ayi – Recipient of the Alice Sterling Honig Award 2020
This award is presented to a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship in child development and family studies.
Rui Tian – Recipient of the Human Development and Family Science Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award 2020
This award is given to a graduate demonstrating a strong commitment to teaching and learning. This student will have demonstrated exceptional skills and competence in assisting the HDFS faculty with undergraduate education.
Xiaoyan Zhang – Recipient of the Human Development and Family Science Doctorate Award for Research Excellence 2020
This award is presented to a doctoral student who has excelled in academic achievement, research practice and leadership activities. This student has also shown great potential for continued growth and contribution in the area of child and family studies to the department, college and university.
Honoring our high-achieving students
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) is proud of its many high-achieving students, students who are active in research, scholarship, and community building. We are pleased to announce the following HDFS students who have been recognized by our department as achieving the honor roll based on a GPA of 3.4 or above:
Halimeh Abdel-Aziz
Jennifer Ball
Madison R. Barton
Alyssa Noell Bethea
Kyra Schlanger Birenbaum
Nicole Blitzer
Rachel Geller Brennan
Stephanie Rene Cetel
Linjun Chen
Claire Cooke
Nylla Davis
Olivia Katherine Dilascia
Elizabeth Helana Flaherty
Ashlyn Baley Friedberg
Amanda Fe Garrison
Luisa Gathmann
Dreisly Grullon
Lilly Harblin
Marisa A. Higby
Julia Ann Jackson
Alexa H. Jentis
Rachel Sydney Katz
Christine M. Kudrewicz
Eden Rose Laur
Grace Katherine Leslie
Catalina Maria Mac Laughlin
Samantha Metellus
Jessica Milo
Kara J Mueller
Anuoluwapo Mary Omole
Tamia Denise Parsons
Olivia Pianese
Kimberly Pichardo
Rachel T. Pourmoradi
Emily Grace Rispoli
Julia N. Rizzo
Madison M. Roberts
Destiny Josefina Rodriguez
Danielle Rebecca Rubenstein
Madeleine L. Rubler
Kayla Rose Sansone
Kelly Saxton
Sarah Silbowitz
Tyler Ashley Smith
Katelyn Song
Maya Swamp
Madalyn R. Tallo
Dorbor Tarley
Camille Jeanne Vincent
Kirsten E. Waldron
Fengzhang Wang
Jala Wilson
Siyu Yang
Rachael A. Zubal-Ruggieri
Professional workshop gives students techniques to support healthy play for children
The retreat was packed with engaging hands-on activities that introduced the LIG philosophy founded in optimism. Retreat participants, or “Playmakers,” experienced the four key ingredients of play—internal control, social connection, joyfulness, and active engagement—and how to integrate them into their work with children and families. Self-care strategies for the Playmakers working with children included mindfulness and reflection.
Thanks to scholarship funding from the Sport and Human Development Institute in Falk College, three Syracuse University students attended the retreat. “The students in our human development and family science program work directly with children and families in community internships and the techniques and tools from this training could transform these experiences. The training did not just give us a list of games to play, it equipped us with a mindset that will influence how we think about structuring all future play opportunities,” says Rachel Razza, Ph.D., associate professor and graduate director in the Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) in Syracuse University’s Falk College. “I appreciated the trauma-sensitive approach and inclusive framework that shaped the activities and emphasized play as a critical vehicle for empowering children and restoring playfulness.”
The biggest takeaway for HDFS and political science major Anuoluwapo Omole ’20 was learning strategies to create activities for children—and adults—that meet their needs and “allow them to feel included and have fun,” she says. The retreat included exercises to apply these strategies, which was a valuable practice for psychology major Samira Suljic ’21. “It was most exciting to actually play the activities,” says Suljic. “Becoming an LIG Playmaker, I now have many new ideas stored to apply to the future I’m pursuing as an occupational therapist specialized in pediatrics. My objective will be to create a joyous, safe, and connecting environment so everyone can be at their best.”
Razza plans to incorporate several retreat strategies into her courses, “Play, Child Development, and Early Education” and “Mindfulness in Children and Youth,” as well as teacher trainings in the community. “This training is an excellent example of Falk College’s theory-to-practice academic model that promotes active learning among students whose career paths focus on the promotion of well-being among individuals and communities,” she adds.
Programs in the Department of Human Development and Family Science focus on life-span development across cross-cultural contexts, social, physical, emotional and behavioral development, and family dynamics and research training.
Human development and family science alumna empowers children, young women in Uganda
Shaylah Nichols ’18, a human development and family science alumna of Syracuse University’s Falk College, was recently named an Alice Rowan Swanson Fellow at the School for International Training (SIT). Nichols, who studied abroad in Uganda in 2017 through SIT, will to return to Uganda in May 2020 to establish an empowerment program for girls and young women in Kisenyi, a marginalized community in Kampala.
“My interest in developing this project began during my SIT internship at an organization called Raising Up Hope for Uganda (RUHU), a childcare institution that provides alternative care to former street children through education and empowerment,” said Nichols.
“Many women who live on the streets of Uganda are more susceptible to gender-based violence, poor health conditions, and inaccessibility to education,” Nichols wrote in her fellowship application. “During this project, I will work with RUHU to identify a variety of options for the young women to pursue, such as trade schools, apprenticeships, or employment… By giving women access to knowledge and opportunity, we are assisting them in becoming the leaders of tomorrow. Lastly, by providing psychosocial support, we are creating mentally and emotionally stable women capable of caring for themselves and each other.”
Dean Murphy welcomes Falk students to campus
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Dear Falk College Students,
Welcome back to campus, returning Falk students. And welcome to new and transfer students joining us this spring. We are so glad to have you join our Falk family. I hope that your winter break was filled with family, friends, and loved ones, and plenty of time for both restful and exciting activities.
As the Spring 2020 semester begins, I would like to offer you a few reminders and updates:
Falk faculty, staff, and I as your Dean, are here to support each of you on your journey here as students, as people, and as citizens. Our doors are always open to you.
In addition, you were invited to an open house with me and Falk College faculty and staff on January 14. It was great to see many of you there for the first in a series of regularly scheduled events that we will continue this semester and into future semesters. I welcome your feedback for future College activities.
As we face challenges on our campus, and as our students advocate for a better Syracuse University, you have my assurance as Dean that Falk College is fully committed to playing a critical role in these efforts, doing what we can to strengthen and build the campus community we know we can be.
Some of you are actively involved in the Falk College Dean’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, established in 2018. We are so grateful for the action and positive change resulting from the efforts of our members, which include faculty, staff, graduate students and undergraduate students from all academic programs in Falk College. There is much work yet to do, and we strongly encourage you to be part of it. Committee meetings are held monthly throughout the academic year. Students interested in being involved in the Committee should contact Professor Chandice Haste-Jackson at cmhaste@syr.edu or the Falk College Dean’s Office at tbattist@syr.edu.
I’d like to remind all students that Falk College Student Services is your dedicated support system. Student Services counselors are here to provide you with private academic advising and help you meet your requirements and goals. In addition, they are your resource for private consultation related to student social and emotional concerns. If you have any concerns throughout your academic career, please contact Student Services or visit 330 Barclay Hall in the Falk Complex.
Particularly for new students, I encourage you review my Fall 2019 welcome message, which contains helpful information about other important resources like Falk Career Services, the Falk Student Lounge, Falk Café, and our computer labs. You’ll also find information about campus resources, such as health and counseling services in the Barnes Center at the Arch, spiritual life through Hendricks Chapel.
To those of you who will be graduating in May, I give you a special word of encouragement to make the most of this semester to maximize your academic and personal growth, and of course, enjoy it! To all our students in Falk College, I wish each of you an excellent Spring 2020 semester.
Go Orange!
Diane Lyden Murphy, M.A., M.S.W., Ph.D.
Dean
Falk College
Falk College offers graduate program scholarships for 2020
Alumni admitted to one of Falk College eligible master’s program for 2020: All Syracuse University alumni can apply for a scholarship equivalent to 25% of tuition for one of Falk College’s eligible residential master’s degree (listed below). In addition, GRE tests and application fees waived.
Scholarship is for residential programs, only.
All students who are full or part-time Syracuse University alumni and do not qualify for the 50% Forever Orange discount are eligible for this scholarship; this includes students already admitted to a Falk master’s program for 2021.
Falk graduate programs include:
- Exercise Science M.S.
- Food Studies M.S.
- Food Studies C.A.S.
- Applied Human Development & Family Science M.A.
- Human Development & Family Science M.S.
- Marriage and Family Therapy M.A.
- Child Therapy C.A.S.
- Trauma Informed Practice C.A.S.
- Nutrition Science M.A., M.S.
- Dietetic Internship C.A.S.
- Integrative and Functional Nutrition C.A.S.
- Public Health MPH
- Addiction Studies C.A.S.
- Global Health C.A.S.
- Sport Venue & Event Management M.S.
Interested students should contact Falk Admissions, submit their application, and must formally matriculate. For more information, please contact the Falk College Office of Admissions at 315.443.5555 or email falk@syr.edu. Award is subject to change.
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