Kirby Deater-Deckard is a developmental psychologist who studies child and adolescent cognitive and social-emotional development, and the role of parenting and peer environments on developmental outcomes. He is the director of the Healthy Development Initiative (HDI) based at the UMass Center Springfield. HDI is a group of UMass scientists and students who discover and share new knowledge about human development across the lifespan in collaboration with community partners. HDI strives to understand and promote the psychological and physical health and well-being of children, adolescents, adults and seniors in our communities.