About Us
Get Involved
Since 2003, USF's Family Study Center has pursued a unique mission – promoting coparenting relationships in families of infants and very young children. In all we do, the Family Study Center engages with and serves our community, and community support allows the FSC to continue providing beneficial projects, programs and research.
To get involved, we invite you to come join us for these events, and to sponsor Center events and/or volunteer today. USF students also have opportunities to engage with the Center to gain hands-on experience in research and service.
To celebrate 20 years of the Family study center, visit the events calendar.
Your Support Makes This Possible
All of our projects are supported through grants and sponsored projects— and typically, grant funds are fully dedicated only to the specific projects for which they were awarded.
Endowment funds from our friends and community partners are hence critical to ensuring the vibrancy and long-term financial stability of USF’s Family Study Center. Operational funding is also essential, as it is necessary for our day-to-day work. We rely on your generous support, through both endowed and operating funds, to improve the lives of the youngest, most vulnerable population in our community. Your gift to the Family Study Center will help to facilitate and further advance research on the community-embedded programs and services the Center provides for families of infants, toddlers and small children throughout Pinellas County and the state of Florida.
The FSC accepts gifts in any amount to advance its impact on the most vulnerable in our community. We also welcome donors interested in sponsoring a specific program or event. We rely on, and greatly appreciate, your generosity. Make an online gift to the Family Study Center today.
VOLUNTEER
The Family Study Center welcomes post-baccalaureate students and members of the local community interested in collaborating on relevant projects and initiatives. Volunteers apply for and receive formal USF appointments and can devote 8 or more hours per week, depending on schedule and availability. To learn more, please email Ciara Tongel and provide a letter of interest and a resume or CV highlighting relevant background interests and prior experience.
Student Research and INTERNSHIPS
The Family Study Center provides unique opportunities for post-doctoral, graduate and undergraduate students at USF to participate generatively in cutting edge research initiatives. USF graduate students in clinical psychology and social work also have opportunities to complete half- or full-year extern or internship opportunities at the Family Study Center’s Infant-Family Center. Meet our 2023-24 research and clinical interns here.
Research
Over 100 USF post-doctoral, graduate, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students
have contributed to the Family Study Center in volunteer roles as research assistants.
Over half of these students engaged for one or more years and contributed to regional,
national, and international conference papers, frequently as first or second authors.
Several student contributions helped advance the family psychology field; for example,
a 2007 report featuring the work of two USF undergraduate students was nominated for
the Outstanding Professional Paper Award at the Southeastern Psychological Association
and was later published. Three professional papers in Family Court Review were spearheaded
by USF St. Petersburg graduate or undergraduate students, and three USF undergraduate
students co-authored a publication for the journal Family Process. Other high-profile
publications co-authored by students include:
McKay, K., Gaskin-Butler, V., Little, T., DePalma, K. & McHale, J. (2021). Starting the conversation: Common themes typifying expectant unmarried Black parents’ discussions about coparenting a first child together. The Journal of Black Psychology. doi: 10.1177/00957984211016758
McHale, J., Carter, D., Miller, M. & Fieldstone, L. (2020). Perspectives of mothers, fathers, and parenting coordinators concerning the process and impact of Parenting Coordination. Family Court Review, 58, 211-226. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/10.1111/fcre.12462
McHale, J., Talbot, J. & Reisler, S. (2020). Recalled coparenting conflict, paralysis of initiative, and sensitivity to conflict during late adolescence. Journal of Women’s Health and Development, 3, 114-124. doi: 10.26502/fjwhd.2644-28840022
Internships
Graduate students in Clinical Psychology and in Social Work are encouraged to apply for formal internships or externships with the Family Study Center's direct services clinic, the Infant-Family Center. Typically, between 1-3 students complete such clinical placements each year, depending on availability. Students apply for such positions through their home department's approved procedures, first discussing with relevant faculty advisors or coordinators and then following their program's standard policies and application procedures. Interviews with the Infant-Family Center Clinical Director are scheduled and completed in a timely fashion, honoring departmental timelines. Decisions about offers are usually made within a matter of 1-2 weeks. For more information, please email the Infant-Family Center's Clinical Director Russia Collins. Intern positions are unpaid, and usually range from 10-20 hours per week, by mutual agreement of the department, student, and Clinical Director.