Brief Biography

I earned my Bachelor of Science with Honors from the University of Wyoming in Psychology.  I was an active undergraduate researcher in Dr. Narina Nunez’ lab for over two years. I co-authored and presented posters at the Joint Meeting of the Western and Rocky Mountain Psychological Associations and I completed a Senior Honors Thesis examining the effect of elderly victim/witness stereotypes on jurors’ decisions (Law and Human Behavior, 1999, 23 (4), 413-423).

I followed my passion and pursued a doctorate in Developmental Psychology at the University of Utah. I collaborated with Dr. Cecilia Wainryb on research examining children’s and adolescents’ moral reasoning and understandings of diversity. The findings from these studies were presented at the Society for Research in Child Development, the Society for Research on Adolescence, and the Jean Piaget Society, and published in the journals of Child Development, Developmental Psychology, and the British Journal of Developmental Psychology. I defended my dissertation on children’s and adolescents’ understandings of unfairness in May, 2002.

I was hired as an Assistant Professor in Psychology in 2003, earned tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2009, and was promoted to Full Professor in 2015. I was honored with the Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor award in 2023. I typically teach Child Psychology, Adolescent Psychology, Theories of Development, and Psychology and the Media. My current research, with Dr. Cade Mansfield (Social Development Lab), aims to better understand the processes and outcomes of social and emotional development from childhood through young adulthood. I mentor student work in directed readings and research courses on topics ranging from disorganized attachment to mindfulness and self-compassion. I serve my department, college, university, and profession in a variety of roles (e.g., Department Adviser, Department Peer Review, CSBS Rank and Tenure Committee, ad-hoc reviewer for professional journals). I am the Director of General Education responsible for the general education program, including implementation of gen ed revitalization andalignment, adjudication of Gen Ed Attribute Transfer Credit Petitions and Gen Ed Transfer Minimum Grade Petitions and administration of the WSU Program.

On the personal side, my husband, Garth, is a Principal of a thriving architecture firm in Salt Lake City who creates sustainable and energy efficient designs, including our own Lindquist Hall. We are fortunate to love and to be continually challenged by our careers. My daughter, Jules, and son, Liam, are my pride and joy and bring developmental theory to life. As a family, we enjoy travel, skiing, hiking, swim meets, and playing with our dog, Juno. My personal hobbies include reading, yoga, pilates, and Irish dancing.