AAYD Lab Members

 

 

Shauna M. Cooper, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator

Dr. Shauna M. Cooper joined the faculty at the University of South Carolina in August 2007 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. She earned a B.A. in Psychology and Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor . After completing her graduate training, Dr. Cooper completed her post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Link to CV

Dr. Cooper specializes in African American child and adolescent development. Using Ecological and Integrative frameworks, her research interests include understanding specific socio-contextual factors (family-, school-, and community-level) influencing both their educational and health outcomes. She is particularly interested in how race and culture may indirectly and directly influence socialization and parenting practices in African American families. Additionally, her research explores gender-related processes among African American youth, with specific interests in understanding psycho-social and contextual correlates of African American girls' psychological and school adjustment. Currently, her research explores contributors to positive development among African American youth. In addition to these interests, Dr. Cooper is dedicated to translating her research into practice- and programming-oriented solutions. She is particularly interested in the development of culturally-sensitive and developmentally-appropriate programming (e.g., academic enrichment; health promotion) for youth of color.

 

Graduate Students

 

Charity Brown

Charity Brown is currently a doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Carolina. She received her B.A. (with honors) in Psychology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her research interests focus on understanding factors (i.e., racial socialization, racial identity and perceived discrimination) that influence the educational and mental health outcomes of African American children and adolescents. Charity’s future plans are to provide the best suitable interventions for the purpose of improving educational outcomes among this population. Link to CV

 

 

Heather Eaddy

Heather Eaddy is a doctoral student in the Community-Clinical Psychology Program. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of South Carolina. Her research interests include identifying risk and protective factors (e.g. biological, socioeconomic, familial) for developing behavioral disorders. Additionally, her professional goals include creating early intervention programs, which are geared toward improving interpersonal relationships, problem solving skills, anger management, and academic performance among this population. Link to CV

 

 

Isha Metzger

 

 

Melanie Avery

Melanie Avery is currently a doctoral student in the Community-Clinical Psychology Program at the University of South Carolina. She received her B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) in Psychology from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. Her research interests focus on understanding race-related stress and treatment of mental disorders in African Americans. Additionally, she is interested in factors contributing to educational attainment and achievement among African American populations. Melanie has conducted several research projects as a trainee with Morgan State University's Career Opportunities in Research (COR) program funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Leadership Alliance at Howard University. Melanie's future plans are to implement specialized programs based on research findings to help improve African Americans overall quality of life.

 

Undergraduate Students

 

Stephania Jackson

Stephania Jackson is a junior Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies major African American Studies minor at the University of South Carolina.  Her research interest include family and child development as well as studying fathering influences on young males' transition into adulthood. After graduating, Stephania intends to obtain a PhD in Clinical Psychology. In her spare time she volunteers as a Richland County Court Appointed Advocate, and is a dedicated member of several organizations including: Midlands Technical College Scholars' List, American Psychology Association, South Carolina Council for African American Studies, and the National Black Child Development Institute, Inc.