URBANA, Ill. – Ramona Faith Oswald has been named head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at University of Illinois.

During her 22-year career at U of I, Oswald has held several key administrative positions in HDFS including director of graduate programs for nearly 15 years, and most recently as interim head of HDFS. Oswald is a leading scholar in sexual minority families, and her successful research program focuses on LGBT families, community social climate, and access to resources, especially in nonmetropolitan and rural contexts.

“During her time serving as interim head, Dr. Oswald demonstrated a clear vision for developing and implementing a strategy in collaboration with faculty, staff, and colleagues that will expand the success of HDFS in all aspects of the land-grant mission,” says Kim Kidwell, dean of the College of ACES. “We are very fortunate to have someone of her caliber demonstrate the dedication, resiliency, and willingness needed to step to the helm of this department.”

Among her many professional leadership and editorial roles, Oswald has chaired programs and committees on the National Council on Family Relations, and served on or currently serves on the editorial boards of several journals.

Oswald received the Senior Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in the College of ACES, the Earnest Osborne Award for Excellence in Teaching from the National Council on Family Relations, a Social Justice Award for Contributions to Family Science, and the Alexis J. Walker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Feminist Family Studies. She was also named a Fellow by the National Council on Family Relations.

Oswald also serves as affiliated faculty in the departments of Gender and Women’s Studies and Counseling Psychology at U of I. 

Pending approval by the Board of Trustees, Oswald will begin serving as head of HDFS on March 16, 2020.