Julia Braungart-Rieker wasn’t in the market for a new job. In fact, she was slated to become the next chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame in the fall.
But when her younger sister at Utah State University sent her the advertisement seeking applicants for the head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State, where she could be closer to family, she was intrigued.
Now Braungart-Rieker, who goes by Julie, will begin leading the HDFS department on July 1.
But it wasn’t just the proximity to her sister, who is a gerontology professor in the HDFS department at Utah State, or to her parents, who also live in Logan, Utah, that prompted her to apply for the position. It was the department itself.
“I was blown away by all of the great work going on,” Braungart-Rieker said. “I used to direct the Shaw Center for Children and Families at Notre Dame, and when I looked at the HDFS department at CSU, it was like everyone was doing that kind of work. I said to myself, ‘These are my people — I really need to apply for this position.’”
‘Great trajectory’
Coming from a psychology department with a range of specialties, she said it will be nice to be in a department that’s solely focused on family studies and human development.
“I love what I see happening, and I want to preserve that,” Braungart-Rieker said. “My motivation is to lead this department that’s on a great trajectory.”
The native of State College, Pennsylvania, grew up in Syracuse, New York, from age 6 on. Her dad was a faculty member in sociology at Syracuse University, and that’s where she earned her undergraduate degree. Braungart-Rieker originally was a pre-med biology major.
“Then I took a child psychology class my freshman year and loved it,” she recalled. “So I did a double major, and after taking organic chemistry, and continuing to take interesting psychology classes, I decided against pre-med.”
CSU connections
She earned her master’s and Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University, where College of Health and Human Sciences Dean Lise Youngblade (former head of HDFS) and University Distinguished Professor Manfred Diehl of HDFS were in the same program, albeit a couple years ahead.
“I am beyond excited to welcome Dr. Julie Braungart-Rieker to her new position of department head of Human Development and Family Studies,” Youngblade said. “I have had the privilege of knowing Julie and watching her career grow over many years, beginning with our graduate school connections. She has an excellent set of skills and expertise, a broad portfolio of relevant experience, and her passion for the discipline is infectious. HDFS is in an excellent place for new leadership and well poised for new areas of growth. I am thrilled that she has agreed to take on this important role and work with the department, and I look forward to working with Julie and HDFS as they strategically chart their future.”
28 years at Notre Dame
Braungart-Rieker started at Notre Dame as an assistant professor in 1992, and she’s been there ever since. Braungart-Rieker holds the Mary Hesburgh Flaherty & James F. Flaherty III College Chair and focuses on social and emotional development during infancy and early childhood.
Asked about her goals for HDFS, Braungart-Rieker said she plans to meet with every member of the department individually to learn more, but her initial impressions are that the unit has great research activity and centers. She said she’s been impressed with its ability to advise 1,100 undergraduate majors as well as its successful master’s program. The doctoral program in applied developmental science, which is relatively new at 12 years old, will continue to develop on her watch, and she’s been impressed with the varied talents of the faculty and staff.
“She has an excellent set of skills and expertise, a broad portfolio of relevant experience, and her passion for the discipline is infectious.” – Dean Lise Youngblade
“It feels like a team where every player is not doing the same thing, but what they’re especially good at,” Braungart-Rieker said.
She’s visited Colorado before, and loves the state’s offering of outdoor mountain activities like hiking and biking. Braungart-Rieker’s husband, Joe Rieker, is a mechanical engineer, and they have two kids — one who is going to grad school in the fall and one who is in law school. Plus, they have a St. Bernard poodle, a Newfoundland poodle and an appreciation for Colorado’s weather.
“I’m looking forward to having lots of sunny days,” she said.
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.