NCID-1501
Naila Antonia Smith
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Dickinson College and an Africana Research Center Post-Doctoral Scholar at The Pennsylvania State University
Education/Degree:
1 Applied Developmental Psychology (Fordham University)
About
Naila A. Smith is an assistant professor of psychology at Dickinson College and an Africana Research Center post-doctoral scholar at The Pennsylvania State University. Her research examines the role of risks (e.g., discrimination), resources (e.g., social relationships), and assets (e.g., ethnic identity) in the academic and socioemotional development of children, adolescents, and emerging adults (ages 18-25). She explores these processes primarily in immigrant and African American populations across multiple contexts, such as online and in the classroom. Dr. Smith has published her work in leading journals such as Child Development, Educational Researcher, International Journal of Psychology, and Youth & Society. She earned a PhD in applied dvelopmental psychology from Fordham University, a MA in developmental psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a BSc (First Class Honors) in psychology from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Jamaica.
Current Work
The overarching goal of Dr. Smith’s research is to better understand the unique and common experiences of marginalized youth and their families to inform solutions to social problems such as educational and health disparities. Her current program of research has two main lines of inquiry:(1) How do multiple aspects of the school context shape teachers’ and parents’ perspectives on Black girls’ socioemotional strengths and vulnerabilities in elementary school? (2) How do the unique challenges and sociocultural strengths of Black immigrant youth in the United States shape their academic and socioemotional development?
Research Area Keyword(s)
academic development, discrimination, ethnic identity, immigrant youth and families, socioemotional development