With the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, the University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) is pleased to announce new leadership in the college, its departments and centers. 

College of Education and Human Development 

On August 16, 2024, Rena Hallam, professor in CEHD’s Department of Human Development Family Sciences (HDFS) and former director of CEHD’s Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC), began her one-year term as interim dean of CEHD. Hallam is also co-director of research for the National Early Care and Education Workforce Center.

Hallam is an accomplished researcher in the field of early childhood and was a skilled director of CEHD’s largest research and service center. Her research focuses on strategies for improving the quality of both center-based and family child care environments with an emphasis on the design and implementation of state systems and policies. She has led multiple state and federal research and outreach initiatives in areas related to the early childhood workforce, professional development and home-based care.

Department of Human Development and Family Sciences 

On August 16, 2024, Jason Hustedt, professor in HDFS, began serving as interim chair of HDFS for the next year. His appointment began when Martha Buell, professor in HDFS and the former chair, transitioned to her new position as UD vice provost for faculty affairs on a full-time basis. 

Hustedt’s research centers on early childhood policy and practice with particular attention to parent-child interactions in low-income families, outcomes related to public early childhood programs and the implications of state and federal early childhood policies. His work addresses the conditions under which services and programs are effective with attention to promoting equitable outcomes for all children. With funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies, he has pursued projects on Early Head Start parenting interventions, large-scale evaluations of state pre-K programs and more, often partnering with HDFS colleagues. He has also served as the research director for DIEEC since 2011. 

School of Education 

Beginning on September 1, 2024, Steve Amendum, professor in the School of Education (SOE) and former interim associate director, began a three-year term as director of the department. 

Amendum’s research areas include early reading intervention, literacy development and instruction for multilingual learners and evidence-based classroom literacy instruction. His work also emphasizes professional development for teachers in each of these areas. He is currently co-principal investigator of an Institute for Education Sciences (IES)-funded grant to test the efficacy of a professional development program for classroom and English as a second language (ESL) teachers designed to improve language and literacy outcomes for K-2 Latinx multilingual learners, as well as a second IES-funded grant to develop and test a hybrid version of the same professional development program. In recognition of this and other research, Amendum received CEHD’s Dean’s Faculty Research Award in 2018 and the Early Career Achievement Award from the Literacy Research Association in 2015.

On September 1, Elizabeth Farley-Ripple, professor in the SOE and director of CEHD’s Partnership for Public Education, also began a three-year term as senior associate director of the SOE. 

Farley-Ripple’s research focuses on evidence use and knowledge mobilization, especially educators’ use of research and data, the role of leadership in evidence-informed improvement, systems and structures that support knowledge mobilization across the educational system and professionalizing the role of knowledge brokers. Farley-Ripple has been awarded grants from the Wallace Foundation, IES, National Science Foundation, Spencer Foundation, the William T. Grant Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Her work has been published in journals such as Educational Researcher, Journal of Educational Administration and Educational Policy, among many others.

On September 1, Christina Barbieri, associate professor in the SOE, began her position as associate director of graduate studies in the SOE.

Barbieri’s research program focuses on understanding and implementing the types of opportunities students need to thrive in mathematics classrooms, including the design and effectiveness of instructional tools and climates that foster positive mathematics attitudes. Her work is centered on using principles from cognitive and learning sciences to improve mathematics competencies, especially for those who struggle with mathematics. Barbieri is the director of the M^3 Lab: Math Methods & Motivation, has served as co-principal investigator on federally-funded IES and National Science Foundation grants and serves on several editorial boards. Barbieri teaches and advises within the Ph.D. in educational statistics and research methods program, the Ph.D. in education program and the B.S.Ed. in elementary teacher education program. 

On September 1, Kristina Najera, assistant professor in the SOE and director of CEHD’s Center for Excellence and Equity in Teacher Preparation (CEETP), began her position as associate director of undergraduate studies in the SOE. 

With a specialization in literacy, Najera has developed expertise in literacy, pre-service teacher preparation and effective instructional practices. Her research interests include writing and  active engagement strategies, teacher preparation and effective instructional practices. She has presented on topics related to scientifically-based reading instruction, effective instructional practices to enhance core instruction, developing teacher residency programs and sustaining teacher residency partnerships. As director of CEETP, Najera also brings special expertise and experience in teacher preparation, certification and accreditation to this role. 

Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood

Heidi Beck, director of New Directions Early Head Start (NDEHS) in DIEEC, and Kristy Sheffler, deputy director of DIEEC, will serve as interim co-directors of the Institute during Hallam’s term as interim dean for CEHD.

Beck has worked with NDEHS in various capacities since 1998 and also serves as DIEEC’s clinical director. She holds many service appointments within the state of Delaware. For example, she sits on the Delaware Early Care and Education Council and the Interagency Coordinating Council and serves as the Delaware Head Start Association president and the secretary of the Wilmington Early Care and Education Council. Throughout her career, Beck has focused on quality inclusive programs for children and their families, community collaborations and professional development.

Sheffler has worked in DIEEC for 10 years, serving as the research manager and the director of the state’s former Delaware Stars for Early Success program before moving into her role as deputy director. She currently oversees DIEEC’s work to support Delaware’s early childhood quality improvement system and is involved with several of DIEEC’s state and nationally-funded contracts. Her professional interests include strengthening state systems and early childhood workforce development.

About the College of Education and Human Development

Defined by its commitment to serve children, youth and families across educational, community and family settings, CEHD offers enriching academic programs, engages in timely, externally-funded research and supports schools, districts and other community organizations through its centers for education, research and public service. CEHD comprises two academic units, SOE and HDFS, as well as 10 centers. 

Committed to the development of nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students, more than 100 full-time and jointly appointed faculty members prepare students for careers in teaching, educational leadership, education, human services, human relations administration and more. Since 2019, CEHD faculty have also garnered $26 million on average in external funding for research that addresses critical, real-world problems in educational, community and family settings. Through the centers, CEHD faculty, staff and students also develop and maintain partnerships with schools, districts and other community organizations to deliver services crucial to the education and human development of children, youth and families. 

In all areas of teaching, research and service, diversity, equity and inclusion serve as core values and guiding principles in CEHD’s mission to prepare students to educate, serve and lead in diverse schools and communities.

Article by Jessica Henderson.