Dr. Rhonda L. Johnson
Research Assistant Professor

Educational Background
Dr. White completed her Ph.D. (2008) in Personality & Social Contexts Psychology from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Research Interests
Dr. White's research focuses broadly on the development, experiences, and well-being of African American adolescents and adults. Dr. White is particularly focused on utilizing a strength-based perspective in her research. Specifically, she explores those community, family, and individual-level factors that contribute to the healthy development and functioning of African Americans. Her current research includes:

• Civic engagement and social responsibility endorsement among African Americans
• The development of social responsibility among African American adolescents
• Pro-social behaviors among African American adolescents
• Racial socialization transactions within African American families
• Resiliency factors among African Americans

Please click the Research Showcase link to view a video of Dr. White's presentation A Positive Perspective: African American Functioning at the Individual, Family, and Community Level.

Representative Publications
Neblett, E.W., Jr., White, R.L., Ford, K.R., Philip, C.L., Nguyên, H.X., & Sellers, R.M. (2008). Patterns of racial socialization and psychological adjustment: Can parental communications around race reduce the impact of racial discrimination? Journal of Research on Adolescence, 18(3), 477-515.

Smalls, C., White, R. Chavous, T., & Sellers, R. (2007). Racial ideological beliefs and racial discrimination experiences as predictors of academic engagement among African American adolescents. Journal of Black Psychology, 33(3), 299-330.