Virginia Tech Human Development & Family Science

08/22/2026

Our HDFS advising team loved meeting all of our new students at the CLAHS New Student Social yesterday! Thanks to all of the new HDFS Hokies who stopped by!

08/21/2026

We missed having all of our graduate students with us this summer! They work hard, but still find time to do some really fun things. Swipe to see what their favorite summer moment was this year!☀️🍉🌴⛱

08/19/2026

Let's give a warm welcome to new PhD student, Urvi Uchat! Urvi is a first year student in the Family Science concentration. Welcome again, Urvi!

08/18/2026

Looking for another class this Fall? There are seats available in HD 1134: Intro to Disability Studies (T/R 11am-12:15pm). This course fulfills Pathway 2 and has no pre-reqs!

This course is also a foundational course required in Virginia Tech's Disability Studies Minor. The Disability Studies minor provides students with a multi-disciplinary perspective about disability and access barriers. Additionally, students learn from disabled people directly about technology, culture, art-making, and community.

This interdisciplinary minor is available to students from any major. Students have the opportunity to complete Pathways courses in Concepts 2, 3, 6a, 6d, and/or 7. Besides HD 1134, other required minor courses include HD courses like 1004 and 4714, as well as electives that can map on to many existing course plans for HD or ECDE majors. Check out more information at this link about the DST minor: https://www.pathways.prov.vt.edu/minors/showcase/ds.html

08/17/2026

We are so excited to welcome the six members of our new cohort of HDFS graduate students! Today is the first day of your PhD journeys, and we are looking forward to seeing all of the amazing things you will do while at Virginia Tech!

In the next few weeks, we will be highlighting our new graduate students on this page. Warmest welcome! ❤❤

08/13/2026

Consider taking HD 4334: Addictions, Recovery, and Family this fall! HD4334: Addiction, Recovery, & Family Systems is pre-approved as an upper-level elective substitution in the ABB Minor.

This 3-credit course is open to those who have taken HD 2304: Family Relationships previously.

08/12/2026

Our very own, Dr. Ben Katz, shared his favorite hiking and camping spots on With Good Reason Radio on July 24th. His section, Nature Therapy, begins at 16:02. Click this link to listen in!

Little babies and potted plants: the stationary, the helpless... the hardest working beings in the room.

08/11/2026

Still thinking about which courses to take this fall? Let us introduce you to HD 1034: The Connection Project.

Swipe to get some information about this awesome, unique, one-credit course open to all!

08/10/2026

Adding to your fall semester? Today we are introducing HD:3984: Parenting Across Contexts. This 3-credit course has no prerequisites!

08/06/2026

Dr. Katz and his colleague in HNFE, Dr. Brenda Davy, are finished up their last of four cooking classes focused on cooking skill development, reducing ultra-processed food intake and DASH dietary pattern adherence for individuals at risk for type-2 diabetes and dementia. This project is called CHOMPDD (Cooking Health Optimized Meals to Prevent Diabetes and Demential). Participants also played cooking related games and learned more about these skills through an at-home app. Special thanks to their Chef, Kimberly Keener, who is a master's student in Nutrition and Dietetics.