Deiner chairs Department of Individual and Family Studies

Penny Deiner, a UD faculty member since 1971, is serving as chairperson of CHEP's Department of Individual and Family Studies.

Deiner, whose research is in the area of early childhood special education and families of children with disabilities, became chairperson at the start of the 2002-03 academic year.

She earned her doctoral degree in child development and family relationships from Pennsylvania State University in 1971 and came to UD the same year as assistant professor of individual and family studies. She became a full professor in 1992.

Deiner is the author of the books Resources for Educating Children with Diverse Abilities: Birth Through Eight, published by Harcourt Brace in 1999, and Infants and Toddlers: Development and Program Planning, published by the same company in 1997.

Her current research focuses on conflict and its resolution in preschool children, particularly in relationship to children with diverse abilities. She is studying physical and relational violence, prosocial behavior and victimization.

Deiner has served on the Delaware Developmental Disabilities Planning Council and on the board of directors of the Parent Information Center of Delaware. At the University, she has been graduate program coordinator and undergraduate program coordinator for the individual and family studies department and faculty director for the semester-abroad program in Costa Rica.