Human Development and Family Studies Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Melissa Fenton’s research aims to reduce behavioral health disparities in historically underserved adolescents and young adults. Her main research focus is on preventing behavioral health problems among rural adolescents and young adults. Additionally, she studies the behavioral health and well-being of LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults. She led a recent study examining the associations between regional levels of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced in state legislatures across the U.S. and depressive symptoms among LGBTQ+ college students in a nationally representative sample.

Sami Brown’s overarching research focuses on examining the risk and protective pathways through which early life adversity shapes child and family health and development and translating this knowledge into health-promotive interventions. Through her prior clinical work and training, she recognized how child- and family-serving systems play a critical role in affecting the outcomes of adversity-exposed children and families, which propelled her to ask questions about how practices and programs could be enhanced to foster health and wellness for populations living in high-risk environments.

Ana Gutierrez-Colina’s research aims to improve the health and well-being of youth and families from historically underserved and marginalized backgrounds. Her interests are at the intersection of socioemotional, cognitive, and contextual factors that underlie health behavior and health behavior change. She studies how health barriers such as depressive symptoms function as mechanisms and potential intervention targets for core health behaviors (sleep, physical activity, eating) with a focus on Hispanic youth and families living in rural areas.

Led by investigators Deborah Fidler and Lisa Daunhauer, the Developmental Disabilities Laboratory uses developmental science to understand how individuals with differing abilities learn and grow. The lab researches how areas of strength and vulnerability emerge during the earliest years of development, and how to identify children who are at risk for additional difficulties and diagnoses. They use the information they generate to create new approaches and innovations for families, caregivers, service providers, and educators.