Dr. Cornelia Brentano is a developmental psychologist and founding faculty member of CSUDH’s Child Development Department. Since its beginnings in 2007, the Child Development major has become one of the fastest growing majors on the CSUDH campus with nearly 800 students just a decade later.
Dr. Brentano teaches courses on Child Development, Social Policy, Parenting, Youth Risk and Resilience, and Marriage and Divorce. She focuses in her research on the contributions of the socio-cultural context to the healthy and successful functioning of individuals and families. Her research on the impact of procedural justice on families in child-custody litigation bridges psychology and law. Her cross-cultural research on global patterns of marriage and divorce in relation to socio-cultural, economic and political conditions is unique in its focus and scope. The National Science Foundation has repeatedly funded her research. Dr. Brentano’s book, “Divorce: Causes and Consequences”, published by Yale University Press, is the most comprehensive research based source on divorce for professionals and students.
As a product of public education, Dr. Brentano is strongly dedicated to student success. She believes that education should be accessible and excellent so it can be transforming, and that the strength of public universities is vital to democracy, to economic stability, and to peaceful relations among diverse populations.
Through collaborative research with her students and a strong focus on the quality of students’ writing, their work habits, and their learning of critical thinking skills, Dr. Brentano strives to help students realize their academic and professional goals, become scientifically grounded in their professional endeavors, and to develop into resourceful professionals who can competently contribute to society.
Before coming to CSUDH, Dr. Brentano served as the Scientific Director for the National 4-H Study at Tufts University in Boston and held faculty appointments at Chapman University in Orange, and the California State University in Los Angeles. Dr. Brentano holds a Doctorate in Human Development, a Master’s degree in Social Ecology, and a Bachelors degree in Cognitive Psychology from the University of California, Irvine.