Biography
I grew up in Arizona, and after high school I came to BYU with plans to become a pediatrician. Along the way, I started to do research with BYU faculty and developed a passion for research that seeks to understand how human behavior is related to health and well-being. I changed course and went to graduate school at Purdue University, where I completed my M.S. degree studying how temperament and personality influence helping children's behaviors.
After Purdue, I worked for the State of Indiana Department of Child Services as a family case manager for a year and a half. Then I came back to BYU from 2007-2010, where I completed my Ph.D. studying emotional regulation and perceptual development in young children, as well as how parental work roles influence health and well-being in the family. From 2010-2013 I was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I was mentored by Dr. Barbara Fiese, an expert in how daily family routines influence children's health and well-being. Then in 2013 I returned to Purdue University as an assistant professor. After five wonderful years at Purdue my family felt it was time to move closer to our extended families and back to the mountains. When I was offered a position to come back here, we jumped at the chance and I am now privileged to be an assistant professor in Psychology at BYU.
Research Interests
My research program addresses the influence of daily routines and behaviors on health and well-being. Specifically, I am interested in how daily routines such as family mealtimes, bedtime routines, media use, and parental work schedules are associated with obesity, sleep problems, and hypertension in children and adolescents. I am also interested in identifying how physiological stress, psychological stress, and hormones influence the relationship between routines and health outcomes.Education
- PhD, Marriage, Family, and Human Development , Brigham Young University (2010)
- Master of Science, Child Development and Family Studies , Purdue University (2006)
- Bachelor of Science, Marriage, Family, and Human Development , Minor in Psychology, Brigham Young University (2002)
Honors and Awards
- 1st Place Undergraduate Poster Award - Diversity and Inclusion Area, Mary Lou Fulton Conference - Brigham Young University (2022 - 2022)
- Mentoring Engagement Grant (MEG award) - $20,000, BYU (2020 - 2021)
- Faculty Mentor selected for Service Learning Grant Award ($900), Purdue University (2017 - 2017)
- Finalist for 'Favorite Faculty Award' (campus wide program) - 2017 , Purdue University (2017 - 2017)
- Cluster Hire Community Building Award ($15,000), Purdue University (2016 - 2016)
- 1st Place Graduate Student Poster Award (prize $300), Mary Lou Fulton Conference - Brigham Young University (2010 - 2010)
- Blaine R. Porter Doctoral Scholar Award for 2009 ($3,000), Brigham Young University (2009 - 2009)
- Graduate Student Excellence Scholarship - 2009 ($850), Brigham Young University (2009 - 2009)
- Graduate Studies Travel Award - 2009 ($400), Brigham Young University (2009 - 2009)
- Mary Lou Fulton Research Mentor Award for 2009 ($5,000), Brigham Young University (2009 - 2009)
- Blaine R. Porter Doctoral Scholar Award for 2008 ($3,000), Brigham Young University (2008 - 2008)
- Graduate Student Excellence Scholarship - 2008 ($1,000), Brigham Young University (2008 - 2008)
- Graduate Studies Travel Award - 2008 ($500), Brigham Young University (2008 - 2008)
- Mary Lou Fulton Research Mentor Award for 2008 ($5,000), Brigham Young University (2008 - 2008)
Administrative Assignments
- University Faculty General Education Committee: Other (Appointed by a VP) (2023 - Present)
- University Institutional Review Board (ethics/research board): Other (Appointed by a VP) (2022 - 2023)
Memberships
- Society for Research in Child Development (2009 - Present)
- National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) (2008 - 2018)
Professional Citizenship
- Officer (specify in Other), USDA - W4003 Multistate Award Research Team (2023 - Present)
- Editorial Review Board Member, Frontiers in Developmental Psychology (2022 - Present)
- Editorial Review Board Member, Journal of Family Psychology (2017 - Present)
- Committee/Council Member, USDA Multi-state Grant W3003-W4003 (2015 - Present)
- Committee/Council Chair, Healthy Active Tippecanoe (2014 - 2018)
- Committee/Council Member, Purdue University Center for Families (2017 - 2018)
- Committee/Council Member, Ingestive Behavior Research Center (2013 - 2018)
- Committee/Council Member, Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering (2013 - 2018)
- Committee/Council Chair, USDA Multi-State Grant W3003-W4003 (2017 - 2018)