Newsletter, August 2022
REU Students Present Research Projects
The 2021-22 cohort of our National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates students presented their capstone research projects at the Summer Platform for Undergraduate Research symposium in July. Congratulations to Aurora Rochin for receiving the NSF REU Honors Presentation Award for her research on the effect of reported household chaos on parenting behaviors among Latine mothers and to Paloma Salas for receiving the NSF REU Poster Award for her research on Latinx mothers' perceptions of chaos, acculturation, and parenting stress. Thank you to our REU research mentors Drs. Jackie Nelson, Shayla Holub, and Raul Rojas for all of your support and guidance. View photos of the event here.
Researchers Examine How to Make Mealtimes with Children Less Stressful
New research from CCF faculty affiliates Drs. Jackie Nelson and Shayla Holub examined how to make mealtimes less stressful for parents of young children. “Preschoolers are often picky eaters with high activity levels, making it hard to create structure. Mealtime can be the most stressful part of the day,” Nelson said. “Teamwork helps both the parents and the child. It goes beyond parental relationship quality; it’s also beneficial for the child to see a united front.” Read more...
Meet the New REUs!
Our next cohort of students in our National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program site begin their year-long experience next week. We look forward to introducing you to all 11 of them over the next few months!
Bella Burda

"I'm most excited to be working with a group of students who are interested in child development and are eager to pave a way for future generations."
Mi Huyhn

"I am most excited about the Play With Me program and look forward to meeting new peers and conducting research."
Ruben Rivas

"Exploring psychology and enriching my community are two things that I've been wanting to do, and I believe this program will provide the perfect chance for that."
Plano Public Library Announces Family Place Library
Plano Public Library has announced Schimelpfenig Library as a new Family Place Library, with programs and services open to all parents, caregivers, and children ages birth to five. Family Place libraries offer specially-designed spaces in the children's area for families with young children; parent-child workshops; collections of books, toys, music, and multimedia materials for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their parents and caregivers; and librarians specially trained in child development and family support. Please join CCF for their Family Place Designation and Ribbon Cutting on September 14th at 11am at the Schimelpfenig Library.
CCF Faculty Affiliate Dr. Lisa Goffman Receives ASHA Award
Congratulations to Dr. Lisa Goffman, CCF faculty affiliate and Nelle C. Johnston Chair in Communication Disorders in Children, for receiving a 2022 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Honors of the Association Award, which recognizes members for their well-known contributions to communication sciences and disorders. It is the highest honor granted by the Association.
From the Director
We are so proud of our 2021-22 Research Experiences for Undergraduate students for their hard work and research presentations, and are equally thankful to our REU research mentors for guiding our students. We had an amazing first year of our NSF-REU Site: Culturally Responsive Research in Developmental Science, whose goal is to diversify the field of developmental science with well-trained and highly capable students and research on populations historically-underrepresented in science. We wish our students all the best as they continue to learn and grow in pursuit of their goals. We are excited to begin classes next week at the University and look forward to connecting with our new REU students, staff, and faculty in pursuit of our mission to advance the healthy development of children.