Two HEART lab doctoral students received awards in Spring 2026. First, Mahsa Pahlavan Yousefkhani received the Alice Sterling Honig award from the HDFS department. Named in honor of the late professor Emerita Alice Sterling Honig, this award recognizes outstanding scholarship in child development and family studies. Mahsa received this award for her exceptional scholarship during the 2025-2026 academic year, in which she submitted seven publications as an author or coauthor. Her research focuses on the role of executive function as a mechanism linking childhood adversity to health outcomes, including substance use and digital addiction.
Second, Kirstin Clear was award the Graduate School Outstanding Teaching Award. This is a university-wide award which honors graduate students with a strong commitment to teaching and learning. In addition to serving as a TA for several courses, Kirstin has taught two courses in the HDFS department: Developmental Perspectives on Medical Terminology and Promises and Problems in Youth and Emerging Adulthood.
Congratulations to Mahsa and Kirstin!
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