Member

Professor of Educational Psychology
College of Education, Wayne State University
Center for Health & Community Impact
https://education.wayne.edu/health-community-impact
https://www.detroits3lab.org/​​

• Has been in academe since 1996.  Academic expertise in school psychology and counseling psychology—is a certified school psychologist and a licensed psychologist in Michigan.

• Research career has been focused on contextual (e.g., family, peers, media, school) predictors of positive social and emotional development, academic achievement, and physical and sexual health, as well as reducing or avoiding unhealthy risk behaviors.

• Primarily focused on adolescents.  Some work with older children and emerging adults.

• Additional emphasis on vulnerable youth including those of low income and economic marginalization (LIEM) backgrounds.

• Strong emphasis on collaborative and interdisciplinary research, through which varying lenses and vantage points contribute to rich perspectives on human developmental research.  

• Prioritizes student engagement in research and mentoring students at all levels through the research process. 

• Two primary current research foci:  a) the role of trauma and Social Emotional Learning concepts in school functioning and evaluation of the impact of trauma-informed teaching intervention on academic success and social-emotional functioning among both court-involved female youth and non-court-involved samples, and b) the role of physical activity and related health factors in youths' academic achievement and evaluation of the impact of physical activity intervention on academic achievement.