Entered program: Fall, 2021

Research interests: Wellbeing among working adults, intervention & program evaluation studies, workplace dynamics and lifelong attitude development, family studies, and development of human resourcefulness 

Email:beckham.arthur@ndsu.edu                                       

DS faculty advisor: Dr. Sean Brotherson

Entered program: Fall, 2021

Research interests: child development and how parent-child interactions along with peer relationships can influence development from infancy through adolescence. I am also interested in how different interventions in early education can promote optimal development in later life.

Email: jordan.bentz@ndsu.edu                                      

DS faculty advisor: Dr. Joel Hektner

Entered program: Fall, 2021

Research interests: Parent-child relations, family policy, the influence of culture and social relationships on lifespan development, and program development, implementation, and evaluation

Email: melisa.hajdar@ndsu.edu                                       

DS faculty advisor: Dr. Heather Fuller

Entered program: Fall, 2021

Research interests: Promoting resilience and optimal function in populations considered disadvantaged or at-risk, prevention science, social emotional learning, family and caregiver training, lifestyle approaches for optimizing health and psychological wellbeing, universal and targeted intervention, and program development

Email: jordan.mooney@ndsu.edu                                       

DS faculty advisor: Dr. Joel Hektner

Entered program: Fall, 2020

Research interests: ageism, how attitudes toward aging can be changed, healthy aging, physical and mental well-being in older adulthood, and intergenerational relationships

Email: emily.kinkade@ndsu.edu                                       

DS faculty advisor: Dr. Heather Fuller

Entered program: Fall, 2020

Research interests: Broadly concerned with interpersonal dynamics and resilience in rural families and communities. I am also interested in immigration, migration from urban to rural environments, and isolation. 

Email: bryce.vanvleet@ndsu.edu

DS faculty advisor:Dr. Heather Fuller

Entered program: Fall, 2019

Research interests: The interplay between social relationships and cognitive aging, especially in the setting of social games and competition; investigating and treating the physiological breakdown and cognitive decline caused by neurodegenerative diseases; intergenerational relationships

Email: megan.hay@ndsu.edu                                 

DS faculty advisor: Dr. Melissa O'Connor

Entered program: Fall, 2018

Research interests: Currently, I am exploring successful aging across the lifespan. Other areas of interest include: longevity, wellness, yoga, and lifestyles that support health and happiness across every part of development.

Email:rachel.grace@ndsu.edu

DS faculty advisor:Dr. Jim Deal 

Entered program: Fall, 2018

Research interests: Body image and self-esteem and how that intersects with multiracial identities of adolescents.

Email: kerrie.leonard@ndsu.edu

DS faculty advisor:Dr. Heather Fuller

Research Supervisor: Dr. Beth Blodgett-Salafia

Entered program: Fall, 2018

Research interests: Maternal incarceration and its effects on mothers, children, and extended families, and evidence-based practice and policy to mitigate these effects. I have also conducted research on attitudes and views surrounding sexual assault, specifically looking at beliefs in rape myths.

Email:antonia.curtis@ndsu.edu

DS faculty advisor: Dr. Joel Hektner

Entered program: Fall, 2018

Research interests: Psychological well-being in rural and farm communities, masculinity and mental health, and healthy aging across the life-span. 

Email:philip.estepp@ndsu.edu 

DS Faculty Advisor:Dr. Sean Brotherson 

Entered program: Fall, 2017

Research interests: Body image and eating disorders within family systems. Specifically, sibling influences on the development of body dissatisfaction, and trends of the 'ideal' female body.

Email: emma.l.johnson@ndsu.edu

DS faculty advisor: Dr. Heather Fuller

Research Supervisor: Dr. Beth Blodgett-Salafia

Entered program: Fall, 2017

Research interests: Socioemotional development in children, child maltreatment, developmental psychopathology, school-based interventions and the school to prison pipeline.

Emailshawn.l.carlson@ndsu.edu

DS faculty advisor: Dr. Joel Hektner

Entered program: Fall, 2016

Research Interests: Identity development, academic self-concept, and growth mindset. More specifically, I am interested in the influence SES has on developmental outcomes related to student success in higher education. In addition, I strive to understand student success for low income and first-generation students and how developmental trajectories influence their experience once enrolled in the university setting.

"I hope to gain a wide variety of experience through the faculty’s diverse research areas."

Email:Meghan Yerhot

DS faculty advisor:Dr. Jim Deal