Current Developmental Science Graduate Students
Beckham Arthur

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
Jordan Bentz

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
Melisa Hajdar

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
Jordan Mooney

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
Teri Undem

Entered program: Fall, 2021
Research interests: Aging in place with an emphasis on the rural setting
Email: teri_undem@ndsu.edu
DS faculty advisor: Dr. Melissa O'Connor
Emily Kinkade

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
Bryce Van Vleet

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
Megan Hay Pedersen

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
Rachel Grace

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
Kerrie Leonard

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
Antonia Curtis

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
Philip Estepp

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
Emma Johnson

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
Shawn Carlson

Entered program: Fall, 2017
Research interests: Socioemotional development in children, child maltreatment, developmental psychopathology, school-based interventions and the school to prison pipeline.
DS faculty advisor: Dr. Joel Hektner
Meghan Yerhot

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
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