Texas Tech University

Human Development and Family Sciences

HDFS TTU Coding Lab

HDFS Centers and Research Facilities

The Human Development & Family Sciences department is committed to research that is focused on individuals, families, and their environments for the purpose of improving and enhancing the human condition. Our programs are designed to advance and prepare for future Human Development and Family Sciences faculty and feature world-class facilities and nationally renowned researchers.

Center for Early Head Start

Texas Tech University Center for Early Head Start believes that children reach their highest potential in an atmosphere of caring and respect that offers many opportunities to learn in ways that meet the needs of each individual child.  This program is a partnership between Texas Tech University and the Lubbock Housing Authority. The Center for Early Head Start is a program for pregnant women and families with children between the ages of 6 weeks to 3 years. There is no charge for this program. This program is comprehensive and serves families that live East of University Avenue, inside the South Loop, and the Arnett Benson area.  Learn more about the Center for Early Head Start »

Child Development Research Center

The Department of Human Development and Family Sciences in the College of Human Sciences operates a Child Development Research Center (CDRC) which provides educational/developmental programs for approximately 80 families with children from birth through five years of age. The CDRC serves as a site for instructional experiences for university students who work with children in laboratory, student teaching, and practicum courses. In addition, the Center provides interdisciplinary research opportunities for faculty and graduate students.  Learn more about the Child Development Research Center »

Center for Adolescent Resiliency

The Center for Adolescent Resiliency (CAR) provides a caring environment in which middle-school and high-school students can develop healthy academic, social, and physical habits.

The Center has two main programs that offer participating youth the opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities, interacting with each other and members of the community. Both programs have spawned additional program development. These transformative learning experiences help adolescents build strong relationships with peers, mentors, and other role models that prepare and equip them for high school, college, and adult responsibilities. Learn more about the Center for Adolescent Resiliency.

Iva Lea Barton Research Suite

The Iva Lea Barton Research Suite is a state-of-the-art research lab that allows Human Development and Family Sciences faculty and students to conduct research in a private space and facilitate multiple research projects at one time. The suite includes a focus group room, several interview and observation rooms, a central coding room, a family waiting room, camera rooms and a research lab.

The facility is named in honor of Iva Lea Barton, who graduated from Texas Tech in 1944 with a home economics education degree. Barton, who was honored as a Distinguished Alumna in 2007, has funded two other projects in early childhood education to further teaching and research efforts in the college. Her private gift was the major source of funding for the new research facility.

HDFS Coding Laboratory

The Department of Human Development and Family Sciences has a coding laboratory with 12 stations offering both quantitative and qualitative software that is available for data management, coding, and transcription—to name a few.