New Beginnings

As the new academic year begins, the Society for the Study of Human Development is also beginning to plan our next phase of activities. These include new issues of Research in Human Development, our next SSHD meeting, and revisiting the roles and activities of the SSHD President and Steering Committee for the upcoming year.

As you may know, we have transitioned to a new president (me), a new publisher (Taylor and Francis), and a new, updated website (www.sshdonline.org). As we plan the future, we would appreciate the benefit of your input.

The steering committee is seeking a site for the next meeting, which will take place in October 2009. Thus far, the current favorite is the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. I would like to hear from you about whether you agree with this site and/or would like to host the next meeting or recommend another site. We are also considering a theme for our next meeting. The current favorite is -- Human Development: Earlier Influences on Later Outcomes. Your reactions to this theme and/or suggestions for others are also welcome.

We understand that some people have experienced difficulties with various logistics associated with the organization. We have spent some time trying to address these difficulties and believe that we have fixed many of these (well hopefully, all) but we’d like to know if you continue to have problems. Please let me know by sending me an email (tca@umich.edu). Our goal is to fix any continuing problems within 30 days.

I would also like to remind you that our journal, Research in Human Development, is flourishing. I urge you to consider the journal as a unique outlet for thematic presentations of your work. Please visit the website, http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t775653695~db=all and contact us if you have any difficulty.

On our website, www.sshdonline.org, you’ll notice that we have recently announced several awards for which you, your colleagues, or you students might be eligible. I especially urge you to consider nominating your students for the Best Dissertation Plan Award or the Best Completed Dissertation Award.

And finally, I encourage you to renew your membership, to invite your colleagues to join, and perhaps to give membership as a gift to your current students or graduating students. As you know, we highly value our student members and try to specifically target young people as we plan activities for the Society and for our meetings. We believe that we, as a broad but small multi-disciplinary group, have a lot to offer people at this point in their career. We realize they are our future leaders and we wish to support and further their success. I urge you and your students to visit the newly developed SSHD Early Career Network Group on our website, at: http://sshdsf.ning.com/. In the spirit of our multi-disciplinary society, I also urge you to tell people from other disciplines about our Society and to invite those with scholarly interests in human development to become SSHD members.

Wishing you a wonderful academic year as well as a full and productive year for the Society for the Study of Human Development.