Message from the Chair

It is an honor to serve as chair of the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development. For over a century, the department has been dedicated to the study and well-being of children and families from diverse backgrounds. Over time, our focus has expanded beyond early childhood to include a lifespan approach, beyond early education to include the multiple contexts and systems in which children grow up, and beyond the local and national to a global reach.

At this time, we have recommitted ourselves to several core values the define our community:

• Being multidisciplinary
• Taking a strengths-based approach
• Focusing on systems change
• Integrating research and practice
• Teaching that is learner-centered
• Addressing diversity, equity, inclusion

As you discover more about Eliot-Pearson, you will see these values infused throughout everything we do—scholarship, teaching, practice, and active citizenship. Our goal is to prepare students for a range of careers addressing varied facets of children's and adolescents' lives, including family dynamics, education, clinical-medical care, media, and social policy. In other words, our students go on to make the world a better place for diverse children, youth, families, and communities.

As chair, I am excited to work together with the Eliot-Pearson community to continue to build on the very strong foundation we already have. I invite you to join us in being part of this Eliot-Pearson legacy.

Tama Leventhal
Professor & Chair