Graduate Students Successfully Defend Master's Theses!

June 2025

Congratulations to our incredible students on their important contribution to protective experiences in diverse communities and adolescent mental health research!

🎓Melissa's thesis, Protective Experiences and Well-Being Among Rural Oklahoman American Indians, examined the role of Protective and Compensatory Experiences (PACEs) in promoting mental well-being among rural American Indian adults, highlighting their potential to mitigate the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). By exploring the connections between protective factors, childhood adversity, and mental health, the research supports a strengths-based, culturally responsive approach to resilience in AI communities.💪

🎓Jenny's thesis, Protective childhood experiences in the ABCD study and mental health, prosocial behavior, and executive function: PACEs-ABCD, showed how both protective and adverse childhood experiences shape youth mental health, prosocial behavior, and executive function over time—highlighting the vital role of resilience factors in development. 📈 Her findings underscore the need to consider both risk and protective influences when supporting healthy youth outcomes. 👏🧠