2023
Out at the 2nd Street Festival talking to and recruiting families - so much fun!
Caregivers, students, & teachers "Sharing Our Stories" to create affirming school spaces for Black and Latine students through culturally responsive teaching
Arlenis headed to Texas to train the team for our new multi-site study that focuses on cultural convos parents have with their 3- to- 7- year old children!
Congratulations to Shaiyino, Johanna, Yvette, and Paloma for doing a phenomenal job this summer in the GREAT program. We are so proud of all the great research you did!
Paloma and her research
Shaiyino and her project from the summer
Yvette presenting her study
Johanna and her work
Lab picture fall 2023 - what an outstanding lab fam!
We always have to take a pause for fun!
Dr. Williams received the American Psychological Association Division 45 Emerging Professional-Contributions to Research Award!
What a nice set-up - Paloma, Johanna, Shaiyino, and Yvette headed to the library to talk with families
Community workshop with teachers, parents, and students to develop a culturally responsive teaching framework!
Summer recruitment
Took a quick stop at a scenic overview of the Shenandoah mountains
Paloma, Arlenis, Johanna, and Dr. Williams provided a community workshop for mentors working with Latine children.
A celebration of graduates at the Williams house.
Dr. Williams and Michelle pose for a selfie at the graduation ceremony!
Dr. Santana earned her Ph.D.!
Arlenis defended her dissertation to become Dr. Santana!
Out in the community talking to families
Chelsea and Bianca head out to recruit families!
A behind the scenes look at Vanessa and Dr. Williams' photoshoot for a VCU news story!
Tatiana, Johanna, and Maysoon head out for a fun day of recruiting families!
Dr. Williams presenting research at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference in New Orleans.
Enjoying drinks and dinner at Benihana! What a nice way to end the conference!
Dr Williams and undergraduate students Roderick and Vanessa represented lab and presented research at the Society for Research in Child Development Conference!
Arlenis, Llorielle, Tatiana, and Paloma headed out in the community to post flyers to recruit families!
We had a lab mascot for the day, Natalya's cat Oliver :)
A fun get together at Dr. Williams' house!
Undergraduate research assistants Llorielle and Paloma getting ready to welcome children and families to lab for our upcoming study!
2022
A fun dinner with Gorana, a visiting PhD student, before she heads back to Massachusetts.
Enjoying the holiday lights at the Botanical Garden after dinner!
Dr. Williams gives an invited talk on ethnic-racial identity!
Group photo fall 2022.
We love our lab family!
Undergraduate students April and Vanessa present their research study at the end-of-summer GREAT program poster symposium
Undergraduate student Mehwish presents her work at the end of the GREAT Summer research training program
End of the summer party before the CREATE Scholars leave VCU!
Group photo at the summer poster symposium where scholars presented all their hard work!
Arlenis, Dr. Williams, & Roderick traveled to provide an invited workshop to Programa del Sol mentors on "Affirming children’s ethnic-racial identity and handling stressful cultural experiences."
The CREATE Scholars program heads to the VA Museum of Fine Arts to watch a new documentary on Arthur Ashe, a local tennis legend.
Arlenis & the scholars head to the ¿Qué Pasa? Festival together!
Co-Director Dr. Williams and Co-Assistant Director Arlenis (alongside SHIELD lab leaders) welcome 4 new undergraduate scholars to VCU for an exciting 10-week CREATE (Community-based Research, Education, & Training Experience) Program!
Dr. Williams & Lisa from La Esperanza lab catch up at the VCU new semester welcome event on campus.
Developmental party at Dr. Kliewer's house to celebrate the graduates!
So excited to celebrate our first graduate students become Drs....congratulations Dr. DeLaney, Dr. Walker, & Dr. Elias! We are so proud of you!
In addition to our lab Drs., we are excited to celebrate other new Drs. in the Department of Psychology - congrats everyone!
Undergraduate student Alanna and Dr. Williams at graduation!
Undergraduate student Raven dances her way to her Bachelor's degree!
Dr. Williams and Eryn's mom celebrating all her hard work and moment becoming a Dr.!
Flying in all the way from California, María's family was so happy to watch her cross the stage to become the 1st Dr. in the family!
We found Rodney the Ram at the University graduation!
All the Drs in the EMPOWER Youth Lab!
Lab party at Dr. Williams' house celebrating all the lab graduates!
Lab family - graduate edition!
Games at the party.
Reaching for the stars game.
Celebrating Chloe at the Women's Network Doctoral Recognition Event!
Dr. Williams and María at the Latine Achievement Ceremony.
Dr. Walker!
Dr. Williams María, her mom, and daughter at the Latine Achievement ceremony.
Graduate student Arlenis presents her work at the graduate research symposium.
Graduate student María presents her research!
Mehwish presenting her work from the semester.
Mariela and Mehak worked hard on this poster.
Cynara and Raven did a great job presenting their poster.
2021
SHIELD & EMPOWER Youth lab PhD students/mamas & littles outing.
Arlenis defends her thesis on "A longitudinal test of Mexican teen mothers’ cultural characteristics and children’s language skills via mothers’ language" to earn her M.S. degree.
When 1st generation college students graduate, we bring our families with us in all we do - we made it Mamá (one more degree to Dr.).
Blair (in the AYA Lab) and Arlenis with their mentors at graduation.
Dr. Williams & Arlenis celebrate all the accomplishments!
Lab heads to the bowling alley for a social!
2020
A fun baby shower for Arlenis and her husband to celebrate their bundle of joy!
Chloe holding our 1st mini PhD student in lab as we celebrate the upcoming birth of our 2nd.
Lab looked a little different this semester as we went virtual during the pandemic.
The 2 lab babies meet as we welcome baby Nico (congrats Arlenis!)
Everyone threw Dr. Williams a virtual baby shower to welcome her baby unicorn!
2019
A quick group selfie after a busy and fun lab meeting (featuring our newest and smallest PhD mini student, Delilah).
Celebrating love at Dr. Williams' wedding!
Chloe and lab sibling Deon (from the SHIELD lab) earn their M.S degrees - up next, Drs!
Eryn and Dr. Williams celebrate Chloe's graduation!
AYA and EMPOWER Youth Labs meet up at Art 180, for a youth-led community event.
Undergraduate GREAT program fellow in lab, Xuxa, presents her research findings from her hard work over the summer.
Our lab threw PhD student María and her husband a baby shower for their little bundle of joy due in May!
PhD students Arlenis & María head out for an outing to the ¿Qué Pasa? Festival, an amazing celebration of Latino culture in Richmond.
Undergraduate students Alanna, Harris, and Nadia share their research findings.
Undergraduate students Shelby, Yessica, and Zach represent lab at the poster session.
Abdul and Brittany share their findings from this semester.
2018
Dr. Williams threw a lab holiday party and we had the best time!
Playing a snowball toss game.
Having a blast playing games at the party.
Dr. Jones, Dr. Lozada, & Dr. Williams celebrating 4 PhD students earning their M.S. degrees- way to go Keyona, Amanda, Eryn, & Ebony!
Eryn defends her master's thesis: "Ethnic-racial identity and academic achievement: Examining mental health and racial discrimination as moderators among Black college students."
Committee members Dr. Jones & Dr. Corley, Eryn, & Dr. Williams at Eryn's thesis defense.
Dr. Williams represents lab at a youth-led March for Justice for youth equity holding signs designed by teens.
After the march, lab members head out for dinner and discussion.
Lab Happy Hour Get-Together.
Dr. Williams & PhD Students Chloe & Eryn head to the Division 45: Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, & Race Conference.
Eryn representing at the Diversity Challenge Conference- Making Race and Culture Work in the STEM Era: Bringing all People to the Forefront.
Eryn exploring Boston with our lab collaborator, Dr. Diamond Bravo at the conference in Boston!
María, Dr. Williams, & Chloe attend the Society for Research on Adolescence Conference.
María sharing research findings.
Chloe presenting all about her work.
Dr. Williams and Chloe take a quick break from the conference to take a picture.
Selamawit earns her M.S. degree!
Lab affiliated graduate student Selamawit successfully defended her thesis “Skin Tone and Academic Achievement Among Five-Year-Old Mexican-American Children.”
The first EMPOWER Youth Lab group photo.
Lab graduate students Chloe and María share information about our lab at the Psychology Undergraduate Recruitment Fair.
Over spring break the EMPOWER Youth Lab attended the Southeastern Psychology Association (SEPA) conference in Charleston, S.C. where Chloe participated in a symposium alongside three other psychology doctoral students.
EMPOWER Youth Lab & PROGRESS Labs unite!
SHIELD, EMPOWER Youth, & PROGRESS Labs having the best time!
Writing group Friday at the library with Dr. Williams and PhD students Chloe, María, & Selamawit
2017
Chloe, Dr. Williams and two other Ph.D. students represent VCU at the Institute for Teaching and Mentoring conference!
This conference is attended by talented scholars from science fields across the country, and focuses on learning how to succeed in academia and beyond!
Dr. Williams and new PhD student Chloe represent the lab at the program welcome event.
The Developmental Psychology Program welcome event. We are excited to be part of such an amazing group of graduate students and faculty!
A behind-the-scenes look during filming for the EMPOWER Youth Lab’s part in the Developmental Psychology Program's promotional video.
First lab selfie.
2016
Dr. Williams and doctoral student Krystal Thomas recruiting the first undergraduate research assistants to the EMPOWER Youth and SHIELD labs!
VCU Department of Psychology representing at the Society for Research in Child Development’s Babies, Boys and Men of Color Special Topics Conference!
A graphic designer put together Dr. Williams’ vision for our lab logo! We love it!
Dr. Hood, Dr. Williams, & Dr. Lozada forming the PROGRESS, EMPOWER Youth, & SHIELD Labs