I am an interdisciplinary teacher-scholar who studies cultural processes of human development. I received my Ph.D. and M.A. in Psychology from Clark University, and my B.A. in Psychology (Italian minor) from Miami University. Since completing my Ph.D. in 2014, I have been a faculty member in the Department of Child and Family Science at California State University, Fresno.

Theoretically and methodologically grounded in developmental psychology, cultural psychology, anthropology, media studies, and religious studies, I conduct mixed methods research with adolescents and emerging adults in diverse cultural contexts. As a teacher and mentor, I guide my students in understanding how youth development is socially, culturally, and historically constructed, and how young people negotiate and create culture.