About Me: I am a lifespan developmental research psychologist with interests in social relationships, health, and socialization. I have studied children, young adults, and older adults addressing a variety of outcomes. I am trained in survey methodologies, longitudinal studies, epidemiology, and experimental designs.
I earned my Ph.D. from The University of Michigan in 1997, completed a three-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Women's Health and Gerontology, and achieved promotion and tenure at Oregon State University in the School of Psychological Science in 2013.
Research Foci: My current projects focus on gender roles and socialization during middle childhood, including the role of doll play and Halloween costumes in socialization, as well as the impact of sexual objectification on cognition and well-being during adulthood. A second research stream is concerned with the role of gender and racial group membership in understanding social relationships and well-being at mid-life and older adulthood. My projects use a variety of methodologies, including content analysis, experimental protocols, and surveys.
I have particular interests in the health and functioning of traditionally under-studied population members and in the impact of sexualization. My work has been supported by NIA, the Erkkila Foundation, and OSU internal funds. You can see my publications at my ResearchGate account.
Graduate Students: I am currently recruiting Ph.D. students who are interested in gender, socialization, sexualization and objectification, or related topics for children or adults. Please note that the Psychology Ph.D. program at OSU is not a clinical program and will not train students for clinical or counseling certification or licensure. This program is for research psychologists who wish to earn the Ph.D. to further their goal of a career in academia or non-clinical applied settings. Please see our School of Psychological Science Graduate webpage for more information (https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/school-psychological-science/psychology/graduate-psychology). I am happy to discuss possible fit in my lab before applications are due; please use the contact page to set up an appointment..
Significant Service Roles: I am a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, and a member of the Personnel Committee for the SPS . I am a past Chair of the Graduate Education Committee in the SPS, working closely with incoming and seasoned graduate students in our program as they progress toward their own Ph.D.s, and a past member of the Institutional Review Board for OSU and the Advisory Board of the OSU Difference, Power, and Discrimination program.