Samantha E. Lawrence
Ph.D., Health, Wellbeing, and Prevention &
Diversity and Culture
Human Development and Family Studies
Entered the Program: 2017
Current program:
- Ph.D.
- Areas of Specialization: Diversity and Culture; Child and Adolescent Development; Health, Wellbeing, and Prevention
Previous Education:
- M.A., Human Development and Family Sciences, UConn, 2019
- B.A., Psychological Sciences & Human Development and Family Studies, UConn Honors College, 2017
Research Interests:
- Experiences, consequences, and prevention of group/identity-based discrimination and victimization (e.g., discrimination and victimization based on ethnicity, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental health, body weight)
- Cultural differences in nature and consequences of family weight stigma
Advising Committee:
Major Advisor: Rebecca Puhl
Associate Advisor: Marlene Schwartz
Associate Advisor: Ryan J. Watson
Assistantship Experience:
- Fall 2020-Spring 2021: Instructor (Human Development: Infancy through Adolescence)
- Summer 2020: Instructor (Diversity Issues in HDFS)
- Fall 2019-Spring 2020: Instructor (Adolescent Development)
- Spring 2019: Instructor (Research Methods in HDFS)
- Fall 2017-Spring 2019: Research Assistantship (Developmental Aspects of Sexual Health (DASH) Lab, Advisor: Eva S. Lefkowitz)
- Fall 2018: Teaching Assistantship (Research Methods in HDFS, Advisor: Keith Bellizzi)
- Fall 2017-Spring 2018: Teaching Assistantship (Family Interaction Processes, Advisor: Louisa Baker)
Recent awards/scholarships/fellowships:
- 2020 University Outstanding Instructor Award, UConn Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
- 2020 Graduate Student Mentorship Excellence Award, UConn Office of Undergraduate Research
- 2020 Graduate Student Research Grant, UConn Human Rights Institute
- 2019 Outstanding Instructor in Human Development and Family Sciences Award
- 2018, 2019 Provost’s Acknowledgment for Teaching Excellence
- 2019 Mattoon-Kline Endowed Scholarship Fund
- 2019 Human Development and Family Sciences Departmental Award
- 2019 Predoctoral Graduate School Fellowship Award in support of summer research efforts in the doctoral program, UConn Graduate School
- 2018 Evaluations of school-based rights violations of transgender and gender non-conforming youth: A social ecological perspective, Wood/Raith Living Trust Summer Fellowship, UConn
- 2018 Summer Fellowship for Advanced Graduate Students in support of summer research efforts, UConn Graduate School
- 2018 L. Eugene Thomas Human Development and Family Studies Award
Peer-reviewed Publications:
Brenick, A., Lawrence, S. E., Carvalheiro, D., & Berger, R. (2019). Teaching tolerance or acting tolerant? Evaluating skills- and contact-based prejudice reduction interventions among palestinian-israeli and jewish-israeli youth. Journal of School Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2019.07.001
Berger, R., Brenick, A., Lawrence, S. E., Lila Coco, & Abu-Raiya, H. (2018). The effectiveness and durability of contact- and skills-based approaches to prejudice reduction. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 59, 46-53. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2018.04.002
Manuscripts Submitted for Review:
Lessard, L., Lawrence, S. E., & Puhl, R. (revise & resubmit). Weight-based victimization and academic performance in adolescence: The role of teacher support.
Lawrence, S. E., Brenick, A., & Margie, N. G. (under review). You can’t sit with us: The role of ethnicity in adolescents’ evaluations of and responses to intra- and intergroup exclusion bullying.
Manuscripts in Preparation
Lawrence, S. E., Walters, T. L., Clark, N. C., Zhang, Y., Hanna-Walker, V. R., Farina, R. E., & Lefkowitz, E. S. (in preparation). LGBTQ+ College Students’ Social Distancing Practices during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Lawrence, S. E., Walters, T. L., Farina, R. E., & Lefkowitz, E. S. (in preparation). Sexual motives and experiences as they relate to alcohol-specific protective behavioral strategies.
For more information on Samantha’s research and teaching pedagogy, see her website.
