Home Department

VCU Department of Psychology

Research Projects

• How do Mexican mothers impact their adolescent daughters’ ethnic-racial identity?
• Merging Developmental and Educational Perspectives on Ethnic-Racial Identity and Ethnic-Racial Socialization to Foster Culturally Responsive Education

Team Members

• Arlenis A. Santana
• Maiah Jackson

About

My research focuses on understanding how risk and resilience factors contribute to psychological, educational and health outcomes/disparities among Latinx, African American and Multiracial youth, emerging adults and families. Specifically, I am interested in ethnic-racial identity, ethnic-racial socialization, discrimination/colorism and cultural experiences across the lifespan. I am especially passionate about extending our understanding of these processes in adolescence/emerging adulthood to earlier developmental periods (e.g., early and middle childhood) by advancing theory and measurement in innovative ways. My work centers primarily in applied settings (e.g., homes, schools and communities), and uses advanced quantitative methods to model processes, as well as translate findings into interventions and programs.