My Research
My research investigates the antecedents, processes, and outcomes of intergenerational social support. Much of this work has focused on mentoring relationships between youth and non-parent adults – including formal relationships within organized youth programs (e.g., Big Brothers Big Sisters), as well as bonds that arise organically within families, schools, extracurricular activities, and communities. This work is highly interdisciplinary, integrating clinical, community, educational, and developmental psychology, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. I have published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book-chapters and conducted numerous scholarly presentations. I am always interested in hearing from potential collaborators (including academics, students, and community/practitioner partners) and am open to serving on dissertation and thesis committees.
Browse the sections below for areas of interest and selected publications, and check out my Google Scholar profile for a full list of publications. Contact me if you'd like me to send you any article PDFs.
Formal Mentoring
Formal mentoring programs serve millions of youth every year, but not all mentoring practices are evidence based or effective.
Here are the questions I'm asking:
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Does formal mentoring promote positive developmental outcomes?
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What practices make them most effective?
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Can paraprofessional mentors deliver evidence-based psychological interventions to bridge mental health disparities?
Natural Mentoring
The majority of youth access mentoring naturalistically, with adults they meet in their families, schools, extracurricular programs, and communities.
Here are the questions I'm asking:
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How does natural mentoring influence youth development?
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Does natural mentoring have long-term impacts, evident all the way into adulthood?
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Are there disparities in access to natural mentoring based on socioeconomic and other contextual factors?
Mentoring College Students
Mentoring relationships are critical for college students, especially those from marginalized and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Here are the questions I'm asking:
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How does mentoring influence college students' success?
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What types of mentoring relationships, programs, and practices are most beneficial?
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How can we increase college students' help-seeking and empower them to form mentoring relationships?