Faculty PI
Kevin Cokley
My research can be broadly categorized in the area of African American psychology, with a focus on racial and ethnic identity development, academic motivation and academic achievement. A theme of much of my research is understanding the psychological and environmental factors that impact African American students’ achievement. My research and scholarship have led me to challenge the notion that African American students are anti-intellectual, and to critically re-examine the impact of racial and ethnic identity on academic achievement. In recent years I have started exploring the impostor phenomenon and its relationship to mental health and academic outcomes among minoritized students.
Graduate Students
Danielle Rosenscruggs
Danielle is a fourth-year Ph.D. Candidate in the Developmental area of Psychology. Before joining the University of Michigan’s Psychology Department, Danielle earned a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Communication from Columbia College Chicago, a Master’s in Tourism Administration from The George Washington University, and a Post-Bacc in Psychology from Portland State University. Since joining the department, she has earned a Master’s in Psychology and a MasterTrack in Social Work. Her research examines the impostor phenomenon in higher education, specifically the relationship between the impostor phenomenon and self-compassion among graduate students. In addition to her formal scholarship, she also facilitates Rackham Graduate School’s impostorism workshops and will soon begin working as a wellness coach for Wolverine Wellness.
Brianna Ross
Brianna is currently a third-year Ph.D. Candidate in the Personality and Social Contexts area of Psychology. Prior to attending UofM, Brianna earned Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina- Wilmington and a Master’s degree in Psychology from North Carolina Central University. Her research examines how Black folks’ experiences of discrimination and intersecting identities (e.g., ethnic-racial identity) influence their engagement with collective action and well-being strategies.
Dianna Alvarado
Dianna is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Personality and Social Contexts Area. Her research examines contextual factors that affect mental and physical health (i.e., sleep health) among Latinx STEM college students. She utilizes a qualitative, and often, quantitative approach to investigate how the academic environment may play a significant role in students’ negative health experiences. Prior to joining U-M’s psychology department, Dianna earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology from California State University, Northridge.
Keion Harris
Keion is a first-year Joint Ph.D. Student in Social Work and Developmental Psychology. He has an interest in health and educational outcomes of adolescent minority youth followed by the implications of research on health and social policy. Keion received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Michigan in April 2023.
Renae Steers
Broadly, my research explores how theories in multicultural psychology can benefit students of color using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. My current thesis project looks at Africentric worldview and how it may correlate with academic achievement and mental wellbeing. I am also a contributor to two other projects about racism within feminism and teacher stress and wellbeing as it relates to socially restrictive teaching laws.
Undergraduate Students
Spirit Dorsey
My name is Spirit and I am a Junior studying psychology with a minor in Community Action and Social Change. I am really interested in how stereotypes of minorities and cultural differences affect adolescent mental health. I am also passionate about creating equitable access to mental health services for minority children. Fun Fact: I love to dance and I have been dancing for about 9 years now!