Marketa is a graduate student in the Developmental Psychology doctoral program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Also, she received her B.A. in both Psychology and African, African American, and Diaspora Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests focus on the joint development of racial and gender stereotypes in Black adolescent girls and impacts on their STEM attitudes and outcomes. Additionally, Marketa is interested in exploring how Black fathers’ socialization practices may influence STEM attitudes and outcomes among Black adolescent girls. In her spare time, Marketa enjoys volunteering in the local community, watching Jeopardy, and trying out new recipes in the kitchen.
Shedrick Garrett is a graduate student in the Developmental Psychology doctoral program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his B.S. in Psychology and Neuroscience, with an area of emphasis in Behavioral Neuroscience from West Virginia University in 2021. As an undergrad, he also worked as a summer research assistant at the University of Virginia. His research interests examine the role of social and digital domains on racially-ethnically marginalized youths’ socialization experiences and development. Additionally, he is interested in investigating how adolescents navigate and make sense of their digital environments. In his free time, Garrett enjoys reading, watching documentaries, and swimming.
Margarett McBride, M.A. is a 4th-year doctoral candidate from Saginaw, Michigan studying Developmental Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her B.A. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a minor in Community Action and Social Change from the University of Michigan. Her research investigates how the neighborhood contexts (i.e., community violence, neighborhood support, gentrification) influence health outcomes and development for Black youth and families. Several organizations have funded her scholarship, including the National Science Foundation, Ford Foundation, UNC Violence and Injury Prevention Center, and the Carolina Center for Public Service. Margarett seeks to engage in participatory and community-engaged approaches in her work, leading her to internships with the Detroit Initiative, Telling It, Prison Creative Arts Project, and Cities United. In her free time, Margarett enjoys volunteering at community programs, creating art (madebymargarett.com), and writing children’s book stories about Black youth (stay tuned for “Dear Dad, Love Nelson” coming out late 2022 with Free Spirit Publishing).
Janae is a graduate student in the Developmental Psychology doctoral program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Wake Forest University. Janae uses an intersectional lens to examine the impact of social inequalities on the well-being and identity development of marginalized groups, particularly LGBTQ youth of color. Focusing on community contexts, she is also interested in researching how inclusive communities and social support can facilitate positive development. In her free time, Janae enjoys writing stories, moshing at concerts, and reading books in tea shops.
Patrece Joseph is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the department of Health Behavior at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her research uses community-engaged methods to examine health socialization among Black and Brown adolescents, specifically how adolescents learn about health and make health-related decisions. She uses this information to guide the development and evaluation of culturally relevant and developmentally appropriate interventions that consider adolescents’ contexts and build on their strengths.
Natalie is an undergraduate student from Los Angeles, CA studying Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Natalie’s honors thesis project is examining biculturalism, family relationships and wellbeing among Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) young adults. In her free time, Natalie enjoys cooking, learning salsa and bachata, and volunteering with children.
Sheba Hamouda is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, studying Human Development & Family Studies. Her research and professional interests are Black Maternal Health. She is from High Point, North Carolina and her favorite hobbies are choreographing dance routines, cooking and baking.
Tiosa is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They are interested in exploring topics relating to identity development in Black LGBT+ populations, particularly trans and nonbinary Black youths. In his free time, Tiosa enjoys making zines, writing poetry,and crafting jewelry.
Rebecca is a junior, majoring in Psychology and double minoring in Health and Society and Medical Anthropology at UNC. She enjoys mentoring African-American girls from local middle schools and volunteering at the Orange County Rape Center. Rebecca is passionate about research topics such as transracial adoption, sexual assault mitigation, and the immigrant experience in America. Outside of school, she likes to spend time with her godson, try new restaurants and hang out with her friends! After graduation, she hopes to attend medical school to eventually become a neonatologist.
Jordan is a junior majoring in Psychology (B.A.) at UNC. He is a RA on campus, a Covenant Scholar, and also a member of the Covenant Student Advisory Council. He is primarily interested in the mental health outcomes that the development of self-concept has on black adolescents. Following undergrad, he will attend graduate school in pursuit of a degree and career in the mental health field, eventually offering counseling/therapy services and opening his own practice. In his free time, he loves to consume sports, spend time with my girlfriend and dog, and try new restaurants.
Zakiya is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology (B.S.) at Iowa State University. She is a George Washington Carver Scholarship Recipient and Peer Mentor. Through research, Zakiya plans to explore her current interests in racial and gender identity development and the implications those have for mental health. After graduation, she plans to obtain her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology.
Nina Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Sciences at North Carolina Central University. She oversees the department’s Child Development and Family Relations concentration area. Her research focuses on work-family balance, maternal and child health, and academic readiness of young children within the context of families of color. She also has interests in child care quality and early childhood teacher preparedness.
Stephen Gibson is a graduate student in Developmental Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, he received his B.A. in Psychology from North Carolina Central and M.S. from North Carolina State University in Educational Psychology. His current research investigates African American children’s racial identity development through racial messages from their parents. In his free time, Stephen enjoys volunteering at community programs, weightlifting, and teaching his dog (Sage) new tricks!
Using culturally-relevant conceptual and theoretical frameworks, the Strengths, Assets, and Resilience (StAR) Research Lab explores the ways in which families, schools, and communities influence positive development among African American adolescents and youth.
Department of Psychology & Neuroscience
208 Davie Hall, CB #3270
235 E. Cameron Ave
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
EMAIL: uncstarlab@gmail.com
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