LaRen Morton
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
Ph.D. Student and Graduate Research Assistant
Education
| Degree | Field of Study | Institution | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science | Family Science | University of Maryland, College Park | 2019 |
Research
My research interests largely encompass African American children’s educational outcomes and academic achievement. Specifically, I am interested in how contextual factors, such as a child’s home and school, can impact African American children’s academic achievement.
Prior Professional Positions
| Organization | Title | Years of Service |
|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland, College Park - Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology | Family Involvement Laboratory | Undergraduate Research Assistant | 2 |
| University of Maryland, College Park - Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology | Early Childhood Interaction Laboratory | Undergraduate Research Assistant | 1 |
Awards
| Award Name | Awarded By | Year Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Eleonora M. Costa Graduate Support Fund | Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia. | 2019 |
| The Elanie Johnson Award | University of Maryland, College Park - Student Success Initiative | 2018 |
Service
| Organization | Title | Year(s) | Service Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Student Organization (GSO) | 2020-2021 | President | |
| Society for Research in Human Development (SRHD) | 2019 | Conference Abstract Reviewer |
Advisory Committee
Dr. Margaret Caughy - Major Professor
Conference Presentations
Acosta, J., Garcia, K., Morton, L., & Cabrera, N. J. (2018 June). Parent stress and parent engagement among low-income, ethnic minority parents. Poster accepted to National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC), Arlington, VA.
Morton, L., Anderson, L. A., Suma, K., Osborne, K. R., Walsdorf, A. A., & Caughy, M. O. (2020 November). Contextual Determinants of Ethnic Identity Development Among Low-Income Black and Latinx School Children. Poster accepted to National Council on Family Relation (NCFR), Virtual.
Morton, L., & Caughy, M. (2021 April). The effects of a school’s ethnic-racial composition on Black girl’s academic engagement and academic motivation. Poster accepted to the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Conference, Virtual.
Morton, L., Anderson, L., Suma, K., Osborne, K., Walsdorf, A., Owen, M., & Caughy, M. (2021, April) Examining the influence of contextual factors on parent’s cultural socialization and Black and Latinx children’s ethnic identity development. Poster accepted to the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Conference, Virtual.
Trejo, A., Morton, L., & Osborne, K. (2021, April). Experiences of the sociopolitical climate among Black and Latinx parents. Flash Talk Paper accepted to the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Conference, Virtual.
Professional Affiliations
National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) | 2019 – Present
Gamma Zeta Chapter of Delta Omega, Public Health Honorary Society | 2019 – Present
Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD) | 2018 – 2019
Current Research
Currently, I am a graduate research assistant working with Dr. Margaret Caughy and the team for the Dallas Project on Education Pathways (formally known as DPReP — the Dallas Preschool Readiness Project). The goal of this project is to understand the various cultural, familial, and contextual factors that impact the academic achievement and development of self-regulation in African American and Latinx children as they transition into middle school.
Working Papers
Anderson, L. A., Morton, L., Suma, K., Osborne, K. R., Walsdorf, A. A., & Caughy, M. O. (in preparation). The effects of neighborhood characteristics on ethnic identity development in Black American and Latino youth.
Caughy, M., Brinkley, D., Morton, L., Brown, G., Suma, K., Attridge, P. (under review). Development of a new measure of parent-child activation: Differences between fathers and mothers and relations to child outcomes.