Human Development and Psychology

Alumni & Careers

HDP Alumna Liane Yajima, Ed.M.'01

After graduating from HGSE, Liane Yajima made the decision to return to her hometown in Honolulu to work with children in Hawaii. Intending to move directly into the classroom, she was persuaded to join the team at the newly developed Hawaii Children's Discovery Center. As director of exhibits and programs, Liane has found the perfect place to utilize her love of working with children with her interest in creating developmentally appropriate learning environments for kids of all ages. She is responsible for writing curriculum, developing educational programs, and training staff to work with children in a state-of-the-art environment filled with hands-on, interactive exhibits. She heads the educational staff and leads the exhibit team in the development and construction of new exhibits. She is also responsible for special event programs and traveling exhibitions. "The HDP Program provided me with the theoretical background that serves as a foundation for the work that I do at the Center. Here, I have the perfect opportunity to use the educational theories about child development and psychology and put them into practice!"

HDP Alumna Kelley Larrow, Ed.M.'02

Kelley Larrow is the family coordinator for the Language and Social Communication Research Program at the Boston University School of Medicine. The Research Program, funded by the National Institutes of Health, examines the development of language and social perceptual skills in children, including children with autism and language-based learning difficulties. Her responsibilities range from recruiting families for their study to administering standardized measures to parents and serving as a liaison between families and our clinical staff. "The range and depth of classes that the Human Development and Psychology Program offered me has provided a perfect foundation for the work I do," Kelley says. "Each day, I draw on knowledge of cognitive and social development, language development, neuropsychology, and research methods. I chose the HDP Program with the goal of combining my interests in education and health, and I was able to do just that."

HDP Alumna Elena Reilly, Ed.M.'02

"On Tuesday, I might meet with Apache elders to discuss how storytelling enhances children's literacy development. On Wednesday, I might analyze the sustainability of an Appalachian teen leadership program," says Elena Reilly, education program manager for Save the Children, a global child-assistance organization that operates afterschool programs for American children living in rural poverty. "Coursework in afterschool education, bilingualism, and development across cultures gave me the framework to understand how non-formal education operates in diverse cultural and linguistic settings. The Human Development and Psychology Program gave me the tools necessary to think up detours around the social, economic, and political obstacles that prevent rural children, especially children of color, from reaching their full potential."