Home department:
School of Social Work

Faculty adviser:
Shelby McDonald, Ph.D.

Angela Matijczak is a PhD student at the VCU School of Social Work and project coordinator of the Children, Families and Animals (CFAR) Research Group, LLC (led by Dr. Shelby McDonald, PhD). Broadly, their research focuses on risk and protective factors for LGBTQ+ youth. They are particularly interested in the relationships between LGBTQ+ youth and their family members. Additionally, they are also interested in the role of pets in the lives of LGBTQ+ youth and how pets may be used to facilitate more identity-affirming relationships between LGBTQ+ youth and their caregivers.