Human Development & Family Science News
Human Development and Family Science prepares students with experiential learning
Falk College students in CFS 325: Children and Families in Health Care Settings study theories and practices of recreational, developmental, and educational programs for children and families in the pediatric care setting under the instruction of certified child life specialist and human development and family science (HDFS) professor of practice Colleen Cameron. Her students may go on to work in health care as child life specialists, physician assistants, even play, speech, or rehabilitation therapists, however, there is a much greater depth of career opportunities for these aspiring professionals.
Some alumni take administrative or teaching roles in early childhood or special education, others may enter social services as counselors, programmers. Some accept government opportunities in legislation, advocacy, and protective agencies. Still others enter the field of communications in journalism or public relations.
Cameron currently sits on the Child Life Council’s (CLC) Undergraduate Endorsement Review Committee, responsible for reviewing the quality of undergraduate child life academic programs at the national and international level. In August, she attended the CLC Academic and Clinical Preparation Summit in Detroit, Michigan as one of 60 committee members to discuss topics impacting child life students, academic institutions, interns, internship programs, and the workforce as a whole.
Academic institutions face a serious task to prepare students for vital roles in a variety of professional sectors. Experiential learning, or “hands-on learning,” is one of the key differentiating factors for Falk College’s academic programs in HDFS.
HDFS students have access to Falk’s on-campus teacher training facility, the Bernice M. Wright (BMW) Child Development Laboratory School, which offers early childhood education programming accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children to the Syracuse community and supports research regarding early childhood education.
In addition, all HDFS students complete a two-semester, 180-hour practicum in an area agency or organization. A portion of the practicum includes a weekly seminar surveying the various professional roles that exist in human services.
With a deeper understanding of children and families in the context of a range of community, educational and social services settings, Falk’s comprehensive approach gives students a competitive edge as they enter the workforce.
Get started on a career path that makes a difference with Nov. 4 Information Session
When students think graduate school, they think curriculum, campus, community, but most of all, what the degree will mean for their lives. It’s not until after completing their degree that Falk College graduate students realize the profound difference it made not just for themselves, but for the lives of those around them as they discover new and exciting opportunities to have a positive impact. That’s what a graduate degree from Falk College means: it means our graduates can do more—more for the community, for society, and for the world. And they do!
Join prospective Falk College graduate students interested in child and family studies, food studies, public health, marriage and family therapy, nutrition science, social work and sport management at Falk’s Graduate Program Information Session on Friday, November 4, 2016 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Grant Auditorium in White Hall, part of the Falk College Complex.
The presentation will provide detailed information on Falk College graduate programs in:
- Child and Family Studies M.A., M.S., Ph.D.
- Marriage and Family Therapy M.A., Ph.D.
- Addiction Studies M.A.
- Food Studies M.S.
- Global Health M.S.
- Nutrition Science M.A., M.S.
- Public Health M.S.
- Social Work M.S.W.
- Sport Venue and Event Management M.S.
- Dual Degree Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapy M.A./M.S.W.
Information and advising will be available regarding Falk’s Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programs including child therapy, trauma-informed practice, addiction studies, food studies and global health.
Falk hosts November 4 Graduate Program Information Session
When students think graduate school, they think curriculum, campus, community, but most of all, what the degree will mean for their lives. It’s not until after completing their degree that Falk College graduate students realize the profound difference it made not just for themselves, but for the lives of those around them as they discover new and exciting opportunities to have a positive impact. That’s what a graduate degree from Falk College means: it means our graduates can do more—more for the community, for society, and for the world. And they do!
Join prospective Falk College graduate students interested in child and family studies, food studies, public health, marriage and family therapy, nutrition science, social work and sport management at Falk’s Graduate Program Information Session on Friday, November 4, 2016 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Grant Auditorium in White Hall, part of the Falk College Complex.
The presentation will provide detailed information on Falk College graduate programs in:
- Child and Family Studies, MA, MS, PhD
- Marriage and Family Therapy, MA, PhD
- Addiction Studies, MA
- Food Studies, MS
- Global Health, MS
- Nutrition Science, MA, MS
- Public Health, MS
- Social Work, MSW
- Sport Venue and Event Management, MS
- Dual Degree Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapy, MA/MSW
Information and advising will be available regarding Falk’s Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programs including child therapy, trauma-informed practice, addiction studies, food studies, global health, and intercollegiate athletic advising and support.
Carter appointed to Onondaga County/Syracuse Commission on Human Rights
Onondaga County Executive Joanne M. Mahoney has appointed Professor Bruce Carter as a Commissioner on the Onondaga County/Syracuse Commission on Human Rights. The term runs through December 2018. The Commission promotes understanding and acceptance of diversity, facilitates intergroup communication, identifies and addresses sources of intergroup tension and conflict, reduces conditions that can lead to discrimination and restrict opportunity, and provides related education, information and referral. In addition to his role on the faculty of the Department of Human Development and Family Science and the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Carter is a facilitator for the Community Wide Dialogues on Race and Racism and a facilitator for the CARE Dialogue Program at Syracuse University.
Falk Ph.D. student research fills critical data need on U.S. family medical leave policies
The late 1990s brought an economic recession to South Korea that would turn tradition on its head. Previously, fathers held jobs and mothers raised the children at home. The recession thrust many mothers into the workplace while middle and high schoolers like Woosang Hwang adjusted to a new home life. It’s what prompted him to study family policy and issues affecting dual-income families.
As a doctoral candidate in human development and family science, Hwang’s dissertation examines the effects of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) on dual-income families in the United States. The FMLA allows eligible employees to take job-protected leave for specified reasons. However, parental leave is just 12 weeks and is unpaid. “Three months is not enough for both father and mother to take care of their children, compared to European countries that provide more than 180 days or six months,” argues Hwang.
He has been investigating this issue since 2015 under the advisement of Dr. Eunjoo Jung, associate professor of human development and family science at Falk College.
“The findings of Hwang’s project will provide theoretical and empirical evidence for both policy and academic fields to evaluate the current maternity leave policy in the United States,” says Jung. “His research is already assisting us to understand the status and challenges of low fertility, employed women, and intergenerational family relations. “This line of work has great promise to help us understand how we can prevent the lost potential in children and families in various contexts around the world.”
Hwang’s dissertation, “The Impacts of the Family and Medical Leave Act on Second-Birth Intentions: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model,” will be recognized with the Feldman Outstanding Research Proposal for Research in Family Policy award at the 2016 National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference November 2-5 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he will also receive an Issues in Aging Focus Group award for his work with the Syracuse University Aging Studies Institute on “Religious Discordance between Adult Children and Their Parents: Consequences for Intergenerational Solidarity across Several Decades.”
Hwang describes an unpaid leave scenario in which a parent is forced to reduce the family budget and therefore feels pressured to return to work sooner rather than later. Furthermore, employees are often concerned that parental leave will negatively impact their career by putting them at a disadvantage for promotions or wage increases. It creates what Hwang describes as an “internal conflict” that is not good for the parent or the child.
Hwang’s research shows that when mothers utilize maternity leave, the children demonstrate better developmental outcomes. “[Parents] can take care of their children from birth to three months or six months,” says Hwang. “That is a very critical period.”
The U.S. trails behind many nations as far as family leave policy, Hwang says. “To change policymakers’ and politicians’ attitudes and get them to think about this policy, then researchers should provide a lot of empirical evidence,” Hwang explains. Unlike European nations, the U.S. has very few empirical studies regarding this topic, and what research does exist is based on outdated data collected in the mid-1990s. “That data cannot represent today’s dual-income families’ attitudes and behaviors regarding the policy,” adds Hwang.
The U.S. fertility rate has steadily declined from 1960 to 2015. But today, Hwang notes, the drop has become alarmingly sharp among employed women, a trend that could greatly impact the economy as the U.S. labor population decreases and the aging population and expectant lifespan continue to increase.
Hwang believes that revising the FMLA to incorporate extended, paid parental leave is the first step to altering the perception of parental leave. A revised policy, Hwang hopes, will change employers’ mindsets, thus allowing employees to take leave free of concern. Parents will no longer have to choose between their family and their job, which will ultimately benefit the parent, child, and society as a whole.
Your chance to have an impact: What a graduate degree means at Falk College
When students think graduate school, they think curriculum, campus, community, but most of all, what the degree will mean for their lives. It’s not until after completing their degree that Falk College graduate students realize the profound difference it made not just for themselves, but for the lives of those around them as they discover new and exciting opportunities to have a positive impact. That’s what a graduate degree from Falk College means: it means our graduates can do more—more for the community, for society, and for the world. And they do!
Join prospective Falk College graduate students interested in child and family studies, food studies, public health, marriage and family therapy, nutrition science, social work and sport management at Falk’s Graduate Program Information Session on Friday, November 4, 2016 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Grant Auditorium in White Hall, part of the Falk College Complex.
The presentation will provide detailed information on Falk College graduate programs in:
- Child and Family Studies M.A., M.S., Ph.D.
- Marriage and Family Therapy M.A., Ph.D.
- Addiction Studies M.A.
- Food Studies M.S.
- Global Health M.S.
- Nutrition Science M.A., M.S.
- Public Health M.S.
- Social Work M.S.W.
- Sport Venue and Event Management M.S.
- Dual Degree Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapy M.A./M.S.W.
Information and advising will be available regarding Falk’s Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programs including child therapy, trauma-informed practice, addiction studies, food studies, global health, and intercollegiate athletic advising and support.
Falk College attends graduate school fairs across New York, U.S. this fall
Falk College will attend many graduate school fairs this fall to connect with prospective graduate students in person and discuss interests and opportunities. This season’s travel schedule will take Falk College graduate admissions staff to many regional events in New York State and to major cities across the United States, such as Philadelphia, Boston, San Diego, and Washington D.C.
Falk College highlights graduate programs at November 4 information session
Syracuse University faculty, staff and current students will welcome potential graduate students interested in Falk College graduate studies in child and family studies, food studies, public health, marriage and family therapy, nutrition science, social work and sport management during its Graduate Program Information Session on Friday, November 4, 2016 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Grant Auditorium in White Hall, part of the Falk College Complex.
The presentation will provide detailed information on Falk College graduate programs in:
In addition, information and advising will be available regarding Falk’s Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programs including child therapy, trauma-informed practice, addiction studies, food studies and global health.
There will be time for a question-and-answer session, as well as a time to meet with faculty, staff and current students. Light refreshments will be served.
Falk College awarded $24,942 grant for children’s trauma intervention project
The Health Foundation for Western & Central New York recently awarded a $24,942 grant to the trauma intervention project, Maternal Child Health Spot Booster, led by Syracuse University’s Falk College Trauma-Informed Scholars in partnership with the Syracuse Trauma Response Team (TRT).
The proposed sustainable intervention strategy aims to help preschoolers in the areas of the Syracuse community most affected by violence and the resulting trauma. Starting this fall, the research team will train Head Start teaching staff and bring mindful yoga intervention to 4- and 5-year-old classrooms at Merrick Head Start, part of the Syracuse City School District and Onondaga County’s federally designated Community Action Agency, PEACE, Inc. The three project phases include:
- Phase 1: Provide two trauma-informed trainings to teachers and staff in local Head Start centers responsible caring for preschool aged children.
- Phase 2: Offer mindfulness training, including yoga, to children under age 5 and their families.
- Phase 3: Falk College Trauma-Informed Scholars and the TRT provide ongoing, sustainable consolidation and follow up.
Project director, Rachel Razza, Ph. D., is an associate professor and graduate director of Human Development and Family Science at Syracuse University Falk College. Her scholarly work focuses on children’s self-regulation—children’s ability to monitor cognitive strategies and adapt behavior to fit situational demands—especially among at-risk children, who are particularly vulnerable to self-regulatory deficits.
“Mindfulness-based practice is being increasing used with teachers and children as a strategy for reducing the negative impacts of stress and trauma,” says Dr. Razza. “Benefits for children include enhanced self-regulation, which has important implications for their school readiness, as well as their future academic and socioemotional competence.”
Honoring Children’s Development
Amy Speach | Syracuse University Magazine | Summer 2016 | Vol 33 | No. 2
Growing up in South Korea as the eldest child in a family that held education in high regard, Professor Eunjoo Jung got an early start on her career as a child development specialist by helping her younger siblings succeed academically. Her professional interest in the study of educational environment began in earnest years later at the Korea Institute for Research and Behavioral Sciences in Seoul, where she conducted research and counseled children from challenged backgrounds. “I observed firsthand how academically intensive school curricula and punitive teaching strategies can create unhealthy learning situations and place intense environmental pressure on children’s learning and development,” says Jung, a faculty member and undergraduate program director in the Falk College Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS). “My work with children at this institute stimulated my interest in understanding children’s learning in different cultures and contexts.”
Jung’s quest to comprehend what parents and educators can do to help children learn and thrive was further strengthened when she moved to the United States to pursue doctoral studies at Illinois State University, bringing her three school-aged children with her. A recipient of the prestigious Holmes Scholarship there, she earned a doctor of education degree in child development and teacher education. She then taught at the University of Louisville before coming to Syracuse in 2009. “As a parent of three English-language learners who were raised in both Asia and the United States, my personal experiences with almost every aspect of childcare arrangements and with working with different educational systems both here and in South Korea have allowed me to gain a unique perspective of the educational and child development cultures in both countries,” says Jung, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in educational psychology from Ewha Womans University in Seoul.
Jung’s research focuses on developing statistical models using large data sets to predict the factors related to positive outcomes in children’s growth and learning. She also collects and analyzes empirical data from future childhood professionals, parents, and children to explore their thoughts about instructional practices and the ways children’s educational and developmental needs can be better addressed. For instance, her recent project studying 1,255 school-aged children examined the relationships among parental involvement, children’s aspirations, and achievement, and revealed that greater parent involvement in school education is related to children’s academic achievement and cognitive development, both directly and indirectly. The study’s results are expected to contribute to the design of intervention and support programs to assist families from diverse backgrounds in discussing how to better guide their children and improve their academic performance.
The exciting part for Jung, she says, is to be able to bridge theory and practice with research. Specifically, she seeks to determine how the theories and new knowledge she produces can be translated into policy implications and practices that inform the educational field. “With several of my students who are all being trained to be strong researchers, we also conduct collaborative research,” says Jung, who is honored to be among her esteemed colleagues in HDFS. “We learn new insights from each other, and share our passion for this work.”
Now with her own children grown, Jung’s focus is on grooming her students to be the next generation of childhood professionals, bringing her full circle to the love for education she discovered as a child. “With the high value of education in my family, leading my younger siblings became very natural for me. I did the same as I raised my children,” she says. “And now I sometimes think that, with my students at the University, I become like a sister and a mother again.” —Amy Speach
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