May’s dissertation leverages insights and methodologies from clinical science and developmental cognitive neuroscience to examine associations between experiencing neighborhood threats, episodic memory processing, and youth engagement in externalizing behaviors, such as aggression and delinquency. Using a large open-access dataset and novel virtual reality paradigm, results will provide crucial insight into, as of yet unidentified, neurocognitive factors that can be targeted to support youth in coping with neighborhood threats and reduce engagement in externalizing behaviors.

Adolescent cannabis use associates with multiple negative health and social outcomes, particularly when consumed at earlier ages. Exposure to substance use in the media predicts youth substance use onset and progression. This project seeks to gain understanding of the cannabis and vaping content youth are exposed to in the media and the effects on subsequent substance use behaviors and attitudes, utilizing quantitative data from Ecological Momentary Assessment and qualitative data from individual interviews.

The aim of my dissertation is to assess the relative importance of factors that influence decision-making processes of elementary school administrators as they relate to adoption of social-emotional learning interventions in schools. I will advance the literature by experimentally evaluating preferences of school administrators using conjoint analysis, an innovative research marketing tool. This study will inform the marketing of existing evidence-based practices to school administrators and development of new interventions between researchers and education professionals.

The purpose of my dissertation is to understand the feasibility and acceptability of a preventative standard of care in which families’ current levels of functioning and stress are screened at well-child visits. I will be conducting two sets of focus groups. The first will include parents of young children and the second will be with pediatric primary care providers. Both will employ user-based design strategies to maximize uptake and understand potential barriers to implementation.