Doris Kelley Christopher

Gift Announced

Ground Breaking

Construction Progress

Christopher Hall Dedication

Research Space

The Family Resiliency Research Home is a unique laboratory which simulates a "real" family home to facilitate study of family relationships and processes through observational research. It contains a fully-equipped kitchen, dining area, and living room in addition to a private interview room. Strategically-placed digital video cameras and microphones record family interactions for later analysis. The ability to collect data through family observation is valuable to researchers who study parent-child, couple, peer, and sibling relationships as well as various aspects of social and emotional development.  The Research Home also provides a comfortable environment for educational and training programs.

Five large multi-investigator project spaces are located on the Upper Level.  Each research space has three to five work stations, meeting space, and data/document storage systems. The first two projects to occupy these areas are the Parenting Project, coordinated by Professor Joseph Pleck, and the Youth Development Project, coordinated by Professors Reed Larson and Robin Jarrett.

Education and Outreach

The Family Resiliency /Autism Resource Center is a resource and referral center for parents and professionals.   The  Resource Center also hosts workshops, special events, and programs.

Meeting Space

The multipurpose Studio is a meeting space that has full audiovisual capability, internet access, and assistive listening service. It can serve as an instructional and seminar space for up to 30 people. It houses a portable videoconferencing system and has been equipped with special room darkening shades, portable lighting and video cameras so that it can be used as a video production facility.

Christopher Hall Commons and the adjoining outdoor Courtyard provide an informal gathering space for faculty, staff, students, and community partners. The kitchenette is equipped with a sink, dishwasher, and refrigerator. A portable audio system is available for indoor and outdoor gatherings.

Three classrooms in the Lower Level have full audiovisual capability and internet access. Two classrooms accommodate 25 persons each and a larger classroom accommodates 50 people. The larger classroom also has assistive listening service.

The Family Resiliency Center Conference Room accommodates up to 14 people for meetings.