A letter from the Dean: Winter 2025

MOST OF THE TIME when we think of a milestone, we view it as the completion of a task or reaching a desired point. And as we celebrate that achievement, we often overlook that a milestone is not the destination. It never is. Upon reaching a given point, we are celebrating not only how far we’ve come, but also where we’re going. We are always looking forward, always setting new goals, always aiming for that next milestone.

In this issue, we celebrate two significant milestones at CEHD. One is the 100th anniversary of the Institute of Child Development (ICD). When ICD was founded in 1925, the field of developmental science was in its infancy, pardon the pun, and there was much excitement over where it might lead. A century later, having influenced the field in so many ways, ICD is the top developmental psychology graduate program in the United States. And there is still excitement at what lies ahead.

Now let’s go back to an even earlier point in time, to 1874. Ulysses Grant was president, the Civil War had ended only nine years before, and there were merely 37 states in the Union. It was also the year the University of Minnesota welcomed two students from Canada and Denmark, the first of thousands of subsequent international students to attend our campus. Today, 150 years later, 10 percent of the University study body is made up of international scholars representing 140 countries. The tremendous impact their lived experiences, talents, and scholarship have brought to the University community gives us much to celebrate.

Although this issue highlights these two milestones, we have many other exciting stories to share. Our Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement has launched an initiative to advance language and literacy. A Department of Family Social Science PhD candidate is piloting a program to offer financial literacy to immigrants and refugees. A student’s quest for knowledge found a perfect fit in our learning technologies program.

We hope you enjoy reading these stories and celebrating with us.

And here’s to meeting you at our next milestone.
 

— DEAN MICHAEL C. RODRIGUEZ

(Photo by Rebecca Slater)