overview

• Family life education seeks to improve individual's overall well-being and has a vital impact on the overall functioning of our communities and society at large. My research has contributed to the field of family life education by advancing knowledge in important avenues that are all content areas for certification in family life education. Within my primary research focus, parent education and guidance, my work has highlighted the factors that contribute to parental competence and self-efficacy, best practices in parenting education, and the impact parenting has on sexual decision-making. Mysecondary research line, family science academic development, has contributed to the discipline of family science through providing empirical evidence on how to better educate future family professionals. This current and future work serves as a national model for family science academic programs with the goal of preparing students to operate in a global society. The finalresearch line is body image, where my research has filled an important gap in the literature by examining Black women's experiences, primarily exploring the impacts of parental influence and ethnic identity.