Biography

I am an Associate Professor of Youth Development in the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences. I am also the department's acting (interim) chair, taking over for Dr. Tracy Irani, who stepped down at the end of 2023. I have a diverse educational background with a B.S. in Psychology, a M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies with an interdisciplinary minor in adolescent risk-taking. My teaching responsibilities include both graduate and undergraduate courses that focus on the risky and problematic behaviors of youth, youth and family development, and prevention science. My research seeks to understand better the risk, protective, and resilience factors associated with the types of problematic behaviors that may harm or impede the accomplishment of important development tasks. This includes risky behaviors such as alcohol and other drug use; however, I also investigate different types of health-compromising behaviors, including sexual deviance, antisocial behavior, problematic eating behaviors (e.g., dieting, excessive exercise), and internalizing problems such as depression, anxiety, and low self-worth. I also examine the developmental and contextual processes that influence the successful transition to adulthood in contemporary American society and non-Westernized countries. This also includes risky and unhealthy behaviors that disrupt a successful transition to adulthood but also includes the contextual and cultural characteristics of the adolescent and young adult (AYA) environment. My applied research activities focus primarily on prevention science research and program evaluation. I focus on studying school and community-based programs to promote positive development among at-risk youth, including evaluating after-school programs, alternative education programs, teacher preparation programs, substance abuse prevention programs, and youth and family cooperative extension programs. Most recently, my research interests have focused on the health and mental health of AYAs, working on interdisciplinary grant-funded projects focused on promoting health communication, health management, and well-being.

My research focuses on:

• delinquency/problem behaviors
• school/community interventions
• family dynamics
• personal identities
• person-centered analysis