Principal Investigator

Dr. Pamela Martin

Professor

Dr. Pamela Martin is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and African American Studies Program at the University of South Carolina.  Prior to returning to her alma mater, she served as the Associate Dean in the College of Juvenile Justice and Interim Department Head in the Psychology Department at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). Before coming to PVAMU, she served for two years as the Chair in the Department of Psychology at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). At NCCU, she instituted the department’s branding message and the use of social media to help the department’s green efforts. She also increased the number of undergraduate and graduate students participating in research. Starting her academic career at North Carolina State University, she was the first African American female tenured in the Department of Psychology in 2009. For her outreach efforts in the Raleigh- Durham areas in 2008, Dr. Martin was inducted into the Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension and Engagement at NC State University. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from University of South Carolina, M.A. in Psychology from North Carolina Central University and a Ph.D. in Ecological/Community Psychology and Urban Studies from Michigan State University. After completing her graduate training, Dr. Martin was a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the Programs for Research on Black Americans at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Influenced by ecological theory, Dr. Martin is interested in examining the person-environmental fit between social institutions such as churches and behavioral outcomes. More specifically, her research investigates the role of theology in shaping the daily experiences of African Americans. Dr. Martin seamlessly integrates her extension and engagement efforts with her teaching and research. Not only does she engages in extension outreach activities herself, she also teaches students to do so, and inspires them to continue in that tradition after graduation.

Lab Scholars

Undergraduate Students

Samiya Anderson

Research Assistant 


Samiya Anderson is a senior at the University of South Carolina and is originally from McCormick, South Carolina. She is majoring in Psychology with minors in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior and Medical Humanities and Culture. She is currently a research assistant in the Mind Matters research project. Following graduation, Samiya plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with the ultimate goal of becoming a child and adolescent psychologist. She is passionate about improving family relationships through her work.

Kofi Ayiku

Research Assistant 

Natalie Fernandez 

Research Assistant 

Jonathan Galloway

Research Assistant 

Chance Hanner

Research Assistant 


Chancellor Hanner is a junior undergraduate student from Darlington, South Carolina, majoring in Computer Information Systems with minors in Business Information Management and African American Studies at the University of South Carolina. He plans to explore the intersection of technology and people through his career, research, and extracurricular activities.  He’s involved in various clubs across campus, including the National Society of Black Engineers and the NAACP. In his free time, he enjoys video games, traveling, and history.

Kymouri Lee

Research Assistant 


Kymouri Lee is a senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in psychology with a minor in counselor education. She plans to pursue a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling after graduation, focusing on helping marginalized groups facing adversity. In her free time, she enjoys making art, gardening, and listening to music.

Naomi Tomlin

Research Assistant 


Naomi Tomlin is an undergraduate student from Summerville, South Carolina. She is pursuing her B.S in  Psychology at the University of South Carolina. She plans to further her education by earning her Master’s in Clinical Psychology. She hopes to eventually earn a Ph.D. Naomi is passionate about improving and eliminating stigmas around mental health in the Black community. Her main pillars in life are Faith, Family, and Friends.

Kai White

Research Assistant 


Kai White is a second-year undergraduate student from Raleigh, North Carolina, currently majoring in psychology at North Carolina Central University. She is an HBCU scholar in the lab and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in counseling psychology to become a child psychologist. Her research interests include examining how race-related trauma affects the development of African American children. In her free time, Kai enjoys listening to music and spending time with friends and family.


Graduate Students


Prince Parker, MA

Research Assistant 


Prince earned a BS in Psychology from Morehouse College and an MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. His research interests focus on the relationship between well-being and the theology of Black churches, as well as how this relationship shapes socialization processes such as parenting styles, political views, and perceptions of masculinity. These interests are grounded in the principles of positive psychology, which provide a foundation for understanding how faith communities foster resilience, growth, and well-being.

Devin Weeks, B.S.

Research Assistant

 

Devin Weeks, a Columbia, SC native, holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of South Carolina. His research focuses on stressors within the African American community, aiming to improve understanding of coping mechanisms and enhance well-being. In his free time, Devin enjoys painting and attending USC athletic events, particularly football. Notably, he ranks in the top 10 students for accumulating points by attending these sporting events.

Research Collaborators

Dr. Marketa Burnett

Assistant Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences & Africana Studies, University of Connecticut 

Marketa Burnett, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina.  Dr. Burnett, a fellow in the African American Faith Communities Lab,  will be investigating religious coping factors and psychsocial outcomes among Black adolescents and adults. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2022. Her research interests include Black girls' identity development, Black family processes, and STEM persistence. Her research has examined how Black parents (residential and non-residential) actively contribute to the positive development of their children and their ability to thrive using cultural assets and strategies. In her spare time, Marketa enjoys volunteering in the local community, watching Jeopardy, and trying out new recipes in the kitchen.

Dr. Derek Blackwell

Associate Professor, Communication, Prairie View A&M University

Derek Blackwell, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Languages and Communication at Prairie View A&M University. Drawn to academia by a passion for teaching and mentoring, he currently teaches courses on media literacy, communication technology, and media industries. His research focuses on the impact of new digital tools on romantic relationships. He has written on a number of topics in this area ranging from the design of online dating websites to the role of social networking sites in romantic relationships to the ways new technologies impact understandings of infidelity. His most recent work looks at depictions of digital romance in the television series, Black Mirror.  He is currecntly collarboaring on the Gospel Rap and Youth Development Project. 
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Dr. Sheretta Butler-Barnes

Professor, Social Work, the Brown School at Washington University

Sheretta Butler-Barnes, PhD is a Professor in the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Butler-Barnes was a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan’s School of Education affiliated with the Center for the Study of Black Youth in Context. During her fellowship, she conducted research on how individual-level factors connected to Black youths’ cultural backgrounds (e.g., internal assets such as racial identity beliefs, religiosity) and ecological risk and resources (e.g., community violence, family and peer support) influence their achievement and psychological well-being outcomes.
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Dr. Nikeea Copeland Linder

Associate Professor/Chair, Department of Psychology at the Notre Dame of Maryland

Nikeea Copeland Linder, PhD is an Associate Professor/Chair in the Department of Psychology at the Notre Dame of Maryland University. Dr. Copeland Linder’s research focuses on the impact of chronic stress on the mental health and health-risk behaviors of children and adolescents. She is particularly interested in the role of protective factors in promoting resilience among African American youth and the development of prevention and intervention programs for youth.