Category: Faculty Partner Research

Kimberly Updegraff – Sibling relationships are often a child’s first lessons in closeness and conflict, shaped deeply by family life. A new study followed Latino/a sibling pairs and their caregivers over time to explore how these bonds shift across middle childhood and into early adolescence. The findings show how parents’ warmth and conflict ripple into sibling relationships, with notable differences by gender and family immigration background. This research supports culturally responsive approaches to strengthening family life in Latino communities.

Annabelle Atkin – Identity is rarely just one thing, and for Multiracial teens, that complexity shapes how they feel about themselves and the world. A new study looks at how belonging, to a minoritized identity, a White identity, or a Multiracial identity, connects to mental health for Latina/o-White and Black-White adolescents. Teens who felt strongly connected to their minoritized identity tended to report less depression and fewer suicidal thoughts. Feeling multiracial offered some protection against depression too, though the picture varied by race and gender. The findings remind us that supporting Multiracial youth means paying attention to the many threads that make up who they are.

Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth – When a parent deploys, the whole family feels it. A new systematic review of 40 studies looks at what happens to children when their military parents, deployed or at home, struggle with their own mental health. The pattern is clear: when parents face PTSD, depression, or anxiety during deployment, kids are more likely to struggle too, socially, emotionally, and at school. The findings make a case for supporting military families at every stage of deployment, not just the service member, but the caregiver at home and the children navigating it all. Helping parents heal helps kids thrive.

Zoe Taylor – For Latino/a migrant farmworker families, home isn’t always a fixed place. Frequent moves for seasonal work can challenge young people’s sense of belonging, yet many find ways to hold onto hope along the way. A new study interviewed 24 migrant farmworker youth ages 10 to 18 about how they define home and cope with constant relocation. While the toll of moving was clear, many also described an optimistic outlook that kept them future-focused. The findings point to the power of strengths-based approaches in supporting these youths’ well-being.

Ellen Ernst Kossek – A new Pew Research Center survey shows most working parents find it difficult to balance job responsibilities and family life, with many handling parenting tasks during work hours and work duties at home. Mothers report greater challenges than fathers as work-life boundaries continue to blur.

Laura Schwab-Reese – This study examines children’s and advocates’ experiences of inadequate responses to child maltreatment reports in the United States using National Child Abuse Hotline text and chat data. It explores gaps in formal systems including child protection services, police, and schools, and how these agencies respond to reports of abuse.

Maria Marshall – The Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule sets national standards for produce safety, but exemptions mean many small-scale farms are not fully regulated. This study examines how Indiana growers perceive and respond to food safety expectations, focusing on how beliefs, values, and perceived risks shape their decision-making.

Leanne Nieforth – A collaboration between Purdue University and Virginia Commonwealth University advances research in human-animal interaction, with a focus on therapy dog programs, education, and evidence-based practice. The partnership brings together researchers and practitioners to identify gaps in the field, improve intervention effectiveness, and ensure safety and quality of life for both people and animals.

Libby Richards – Physical activity can improve health and quality of life for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but intervention outcomes vary across individuals. This scoping review examines evidence of moderation to identify factors that may influence the effectiveness of physical activity interventions and inform more personalized approaches to behavior change.

Trent Mize – Why do stereotypes persist even when they do not accurately describe individuals? This research explores how stereotypes emerge from social roles, cultural narratives, and structural inequalities while examining the leading theories researchers use to explain their influence on perceptions, expectations, and behavior.