The HDFS Catalyst  October 2017
Diversity, equity and inclusion are foundational to the curricular, scholarly, and outreach activities of our Department. In that spirit, we highlight several noteworthy activities that are currently taking place in our unit. The HDFS Department recently hosted a diversity workshop featuring master diversity trainer, Dr. Rochelle R. Peterson-Ansari .The event drew a large audience of faculty, staff, and students from all across the UD campus.
Faculty Spotlights
HDFS faculty members, Dr. Valerie Earnshaw and Dr. Jen Carrano conducted a climate survey among students enrolled in HDFS courses at the University of Delaware in 2017.The goal was to gauge student perceptions of the climate in these courses.

Results suggested that most students felt that curricular experiences were culturally broadening and prepared them for their future careers.
They also noted primarily positive experiences in interacting with professors and peers regarding diversity. White students reported experiencing a welcoming climate in classes, and students of color reported a somewhat welcoming climate.
Dr. Roderick Carey (pictured right) came to us via an educational trajectory that includes Boston College, Harvard University, the University of Maryland and the University of Pittsburgh.His research focuses on the school experiences of Black and Latino adolescent boys and young men in urban contexts. His work can be divided into distinct strands. First, he focuses on understanding the multiple factors influencing the ways that Black and Latino boys conceptualize and act on their future ambitions, particularly pursuing a college degree or other post-secondary educational options. A recent 2016 article published in The Urban Review , is titled "Keep That in Mind, You're Gonna Go to College: Family Influence on the College Going Processes of Black and Latino High School Boys".
Dr. Carey is also envisioning new ways for schools to educate marginalized students like Black and Latino boys, by employing best practices for teacher education and professional development for equity. Read more.
Alumni Making a Difference
Andrea Vilorio, HS '13 (pictured above with her students) was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia for 27 months from 2014-2016. She taught English to 100+ Ethiopian high school students and led both student and teacher conversational clubs. In addition, she trained female students and staff on making reusable menstruation pads and taught about the reproductive system, contraceptive usage and infectious diseases at summer camps. Andrea also coordinated and facilitated an annual week-long health camp for both girls and boys where she taught about healthy attitudes and behaviors, as well as worked with the local health clinic to provide Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects to her community.

Andrea currently works for Peace Corps Headquarters in D.C. in the Office of Medical Services and is perfectly content to practice her Amharic, the official Ethiopian language, and eat injera! 
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