Expert on social and emotional development in infants and toddlers to address families, caregivers May 13 at Syracuse University

Expert on social and emotional development in infants and toddlers to address families, caregivers May 13 at Syracuse UniversityApril 20, 2009Michele Barrettmibarret@syr.edu

Holly Brophy-Herb G’92, Ph.D.’96, a sought-after resource in the field of child development and an alumna of Syracuse University, will present “Tools for the Mind and Heart: Nurturing Social-Emotional Competencies in Infants and Toddlers” for the third annual Jack Reilly Distinguished Lecture at Syracuse University, hosted by SU’s College of Human Ecology, on Wednesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. in Shemin Auditorium in the Shaffer Art Building.

The event, co-sponsored by Child Care Solutions, is free and open to the public. It should be of particular interest to parents, grandparents and caregivers. R.S.V.P.s are preferred by Tuesday, May 5, by contacting Rebecca Bruzdzinski at 443-2243 or rlbruzdz@syr.edu. Free parking is available in the Q4 lot, accessible via College Place and across the street from the Shaffer Art Building.

The Jack Reilly Distinguished Lecture Series in Infant & Toddler Caregiving was launched in 2007 thanks to the generous support of SU alumnus John D. Reilly III ’69, G’70 and his wife, Patricia M. Reilly. The Jack Reilly Distinguished Lecture Series is part of the Jack Reilly Institute for Early Childhood and Provider Education, which the Reillys established in perpetuity in honor of their son Jack (John D. Reilly IV), who was killed in a tragic fire at a licensed day-care facility in California in 1989. Bringing together child development experts and students, as well as infant and toddler caregivers and prospective caregivers, these lectures take place annually in Syracuse.

Brophy-Herb is associate professor of child development in the Department of Family and Child Ecology at Michigan State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary/early childhood education, as well as a master’s degree in child development and family studies and a Ph.D. in child development with an emphasis on infant/toddler development, both from SU.

Brophy-Herb’s research focuses on the social-emotional development of infants and toddlers, including the qualities of caregiver-infant/parent-infant relationships that result in healthy socio- emotional development. Her research has included extensive work in studying how infants/toddlers and their significant adults communicate and respond to each other in emotionally healthy ways and how infants and toddlers gain the social and emotional developmental competencies that allow them to grow and learn effectively in their environments.

Pursuant with her research interests, Brophy-Herb’s portfolio of projects includes leading a curriculum development and evaluation study aimed at enhancing early social and emotional development in infants and toddlers at risk. She is also a co-investigator of the national Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project/Pathways to Family Health project.

The Jack Reilly Distinguished Lecture is part of the 33rd Annual Quality Infant Toddler Caregiving Workshop led by Alice Honig, professor emerita of child development in the College of Human Ecology, and taking place May 11-15 at SU. As the only event of its kind, this workshop draws participants from all over the world. It is designed to help people seeking an understanding of infant development and practical training in infant/toddler caregiving. The workshop is based on research and theory in the areas of social-emotional, cognitive, motor, sensory and language development.

In the workshop, daily routines are emphasized as opportunities for loving and learning experiences, and for promoting competence. Practical applications of lectures include observations and hands-on interactions with infants. A variety of infant/toddler videos and films are shown.

Honig has done extensive research and written books and articles on infants and toddlers, language development, child-care practices, preschooler social development, fathering and the effects of divorce on children. She teaches workshops for caregivers of infants and toddlers, and she has lectured widely. Honig is a licensed psychologist and a fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the Society for Research in Child Development.

About the College of Human Ecology at Syracuse University

The College of Human Ecology is dedicated to excellence in professional academic education and integrates publicly engaged scholarship as a philosophy and method in all of its degree programs. The college brings together a rich history of academic programs whose signatures of social responsibility and justice join new and evolving majors reflective of educating global citizens whose leadership can-and does-change the places and people where they live and work.

Previously known as the College of Human Services and Health Professions until it was renamed in 2007, the College of Human Ecology hosts seven departments with strong roots in SU history: Child and Family Studies; Health and Wellness; Hospitality Management; Marriage and Family Therapy; Nutrition Science and Dietetics; Sport Management; and the School of Social Work.