 |
|
Office Number:
Education 3133
Phone Number:
(805) 893-3081
E-mail:
education.ucsb.edu lromo
Laura Romo
Associate Professor, Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles)
Emphasis:
Child and Adolescent Development, Cultural Perspectives & Comparative Education
Research Interests:
Adolescent development; Mother-adolescent communication; Youth and sexuality; Adolescent pregnancy prevention; Informal science/health education; Concept acquisition
Biography:
I completed my Ph.D. in developmental psychology at UCLA in 2000, and was awarded a postdoc opportunity in 2001 through the UC Presidents’ Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. My training at UCLA in both social and cognitive development has afforded me the opportunity to examine communication processes in the parent-adolescent relationship that impact adolescent well-being. Because parent-adolescent communication about sexuality has been shown to be a protective factor against risky sexual activity, I seek to identify maternal communication strategies that facilitate discussion with Latino adolescents about these topics. This goal is driven by the critical need to design culturally sensitive health prevention programs for this population, given high rates of adolescent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. To conduct this work, I was granted a major 5-year award in 2006 from the William T. Grant Foundation, which has enabled me to adapt a mother-daughter pregnancy and STD prevention program offered at a local community-based organization for Latinos. In addition to enhancing communication about sexual health topics, my students and I are examining the nature of Latino parent-adolescent communication about education, with the hopes of designing workshops that promote mother-daughter communication about educational goals. Working in the community, and bridging research with practice, will continue to motivate my program of research.
Recent Publications:
Nadeem, E., & Romo, L.F. Low-income Latina mothers’ expectations for their pregnant daughters’ autonomy and interdependence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 18(2), 215-238. 2008. [Refereed Journal Article]
Romo, L.F., Kouyoumdjian, C., & Lightfoot, M. Sources of influence on the college goals, sexual behavior, and childbearing attitudes of Latina girls in alternative high schools. In C. Hudley & A.E. Gottfried (Eds.), Academic Motivation and the Culture of School in Childhood and Adolescence (pp. 99-120). New York: Oxford University Press. 2008. [Book Chapter]
Au, T. K., Oh, J. S., Knightly, L. M., Jun, S. & Romo, L. F. Salvaging a childhood language. Journal of Memory and Language, 58, 998-1011. 2008. [Refereed Journal Article]
Romo, L.F, & Nadeem, E. School connectedness, mental health, and well-being of adolescent mothers. Theory into Practice, 46(2). 2007. [Refereed Journal Article]
Nadeem, E., Romo, L.F., Sigman, M., Lefkowitz, E.S., & Au, T.K. The validity of observational measures in detecting optimal maternal communication styles: Evidence from European Americans and Latinos. Journal of Research on Adolescence, (17(1), 153-168. 2007. [Refereed Journal Article]
Awards and Honors:
William T Grant Foundation Scholars Award, 2006
Affiliations:
American Educational Research Association
American Psychological Association
Society for Research in Adolescence
Society for Research in Child Development
