College of Human Sciences Students Receive Acclaim

Written by: Georgia Godfrey

Texas Tech University Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) students won awards at the annual Texas Council on Family Relations Conference in Houston.

Eight students presented and competed in the conference – themed The Family Life Educator.

Marcus Tanner, a graduate student in HDFS, won the graduate student paper award for his work on "Applying Choice Theory to Relational Forgiveness in Marriage." The paper now will enter an outstanding student paper competition at the National Council on Family Relations Conference, slated for November.

Cathryn Bushman, an undergraduate HDFS student, won awards for her work on "Smoking for Two: Enabling Taboos."

"Our students and faculty in the HDFS department work hard throughout the year to research familial relationships for this conference," said Linda Hoover, dean of the College of Human Sciences. "We are proud of what they have accomplished and look forward to the work that is yet to come."

Rachel Pride, an undergraduate, was a presenter with her sister and grandparents in a session on intergenerational influences in family life education. Graduate students Janis Henderson and Erin Ritchey also presented a research session with Lane Powell, a professor in the HDFS department.

Powell led a workshop on interactive teaching in family life education and signed copies of her textbook: "Family Life Education: Working with Families across the Lifespan," which she co-authored with Dawn Cassidy.

The Department of Human Development and Family Studies is a multidisciplinary department in the College of Human Sciences that focuses applied developmental research to the study of individual development and relationship processes, using teaching and service as well as research. The department serves students in both early childhood education and the human development and family studies majors.

CONTACT: Georgia Godfrey, coordinator for college development and external relations, College of Human Sciences, Texas Tech University, (806) 742-3263, or georgia.godfrey@ttu.edu.