Category: Faculty Partner Research

Ellen Ernst Kossek – New research shows that formal work–family policies alone are not enough to close gender career gaps. By fostering a workplace climate that values employees’ personal lives, organizations can reduce personal life stigma and improve retention and promotion outcomes for women.

Sooyeon Jeong – Friendly robots, the ones people love to love, are quirky: R2-D2, C-3PO, WALL-E, BB-8, Marvin, Roz and Baymax. They’re emotional, prone to panic or bossy, empathetic and able to communicate like humans do — even when they communicate in only beeps and bloops. At Purdue University, Sooyeon Jeong, robot communication and behavior expert, is working to make robots as friendly and helpful as possible in nonfictional settings.

Arielle Borovsky – Deaf children acquiring American Sign Language (ASL) perceive both linguistic and non-linguistic information through the visual mode. Thus, signing deaf children face a unique task in word learning, in that mapping objects to referents requires careful allocation of visual attention.

Susan South – A new edition of Psychopathology and Mental Health brings together leading scholars to explore the biological, psychological and social dimensions of mental disorders, integrating the latest research on diagnosis and treatment.

Kristine Marceau – A new study from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort shows that high maternal stress during pregnancy is linked to increased ADHD risk and symptoms in children. The research highlights the importance of stress reduction during pregnancy to support healthy child development.

Annabelle Atkin – Researchers developed and validated the first Gendered Racial Socialization Scale for Asian American women, identifying seven key factors such as filial piety, beauty ideals, and preparation for bias. The study highlights how gendered and racial messages from parents influence self-esteem, body shame, and depressive symptoms, offering insights for researchers, clinicians, and families.

Breanya Hougue – The Purdue CDF Freedom School at First United Methodist Church in West Lafayette offers a free six‑week summer literacy and enrichment program for K‑8 students, combining reading, STEM and community activities. Founded by Dr. Breanya Hogue of Purdue’s College of Education, the program fosters academic growth, leadership and a love of learning for area children.

Kim Updegraff – A new study of 246 U.S. Mexican-origin families examines how maternal and paternal warmth and sibling intimacy influence youth familism values from ages 12 to 22. Results show that mothers’ warmth most strongly predicts familism during mid-adolescence, fathers’ warmth influences values across ages 12–21, and sibling intimacy becomes important in young adulthood. Findings highlight the evolving role of family relationships in fostering family-oriented values and inform family-based prevention programs.

Kim Updegraff – A new study of 627 U.S. Latino adolescents explores how cultural wealth—familial ethnic socialization, ethnic-racial identity, and support from friendships—relates to academic adjustment. Researchers identified four distinct profiles, finding that adolescents with higher cultural wealth showed stronger academic self-efficacy, school belonging, and resilience in the face of ethnoracial discrimination. These findings highlight the diverse experiences of Latino youth and how their cultural knowledge and networks support success in school.

Laura Schwab-Reese – A new study analyzed responses from four popular AI chatbots—including ChatGPT 4 and Claude 3.7—on HPV vaccine questions posed by young adults. Researchers found that all chatbots cited reputable sources, maintained a provaccine stance, and deferred to healthcare professionals for complex queries. While AI chatbots show promise as reliable sources of HPV information, improvements in readability, personalization, and link accuracy are needed. Experts emphasize that chatbots should complement, not replace, professional medical guidance.