About Me

I am an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech. I completed my PhD in HDFS at Penn State University in 2017 under the mentorship of Dr. Eva Lefkowitz. My research focuses on adolescent and young adult interpersonal relationships and health. I address how diverse interpersonal relationships-- such as friendships, romantic relationships, and casual sexual relationships-- confer risks and benefits for emotional and physical health. 

On this website, I occasionally post about casual sex and health, which is one branch of my research. My experiences as a peer counselor, a comprehensive sex educator, and a researcher have helped me realize two important things. First, researchers have a lot to discover in order to understand adolescent and young adult sexual relationships. Second, research needs to reach adolescents and young adults and empower them to have better sexual relationships. I'm working to bridge the gap between relationship research and relationship reality.