Current Position Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences PhD (1999), University of Virgina MA (1996), University of Virginia BA with Honors (1993), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Contact Information Address: Purdue University  Department of Psychological Sciences 703 Third Street Rm. PSYC 1130B West Lafayette, IN 47907-2081 Phone: (765) 494-6996 Fax: (765) 496-2670 E-mail: msbynum@psych.purdue.edu           Other contact information:  Sara Ostheimer at 494-6996 or saraost@psych.purdue.edu

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Research focus:

My expertise lies in family processes and mental health in ethnic minority families, racial identity.  My current research focuses on general and cultural aspects of parenting in African American families and how they predict mental health outcomes and sexual behavior in African American adolescents.  At present, I am investigating how African American parents communicate with their adolescent children about racial discrimination and how these efforts affect mental health outcomes in African American adolescents.  I am also studying the longitudinal effects of racism exposure on the psychological functioning of African American adolescents.

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