Melissa Lucas, PhD
About
Titles
Postdoctoral Associate in the Child Study Center
Biography
Melissa Lucas, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral associate at the Education Collaboratory at Yale within the Yale Child Study Center. Dr. Lucas' current work explores how the "sum total" of schooling (e.g., deficit-oriented policies, student-teacher relationships characterized by conflict, low expectations), as well as family processes that support or hinder Latinx and multilingual students’ early development.
More specifically, Dr. Lucas' research focuses on supporting the socioemotional and academic development of Latinx and multilingual populations and considers the role of context, especially teacher-child relationships, to foster nurturing classroom and school environments. Dr. Lucas uses person-centered analyses and a strengths-based approach to centering equity in education research. Her work hopes to expand our understanding of supportive strategies used by children, families, and educators that encourage culturally resilient academic identities among students from culturally and linguistically minoritized backgrounds.
Dr. Lucas earned her doctorate in educational psychology-applied developmental science from the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development, where she was an Institute of Education Sciences, pre-doctoral fellow. Melissa obtained a B.S. in psychology and sociology from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2016 and an A.S. in social sciences from Northern Virginia Community College in 2015.
Education & Training
- PhD
- University of Virginia, Educational Psychology-Applied Developmental Science (2022)
- BS
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Psychology & Sociology (2016)
- AS
- Northern Virginia Community College, Social Sciences (2015)
Research
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
Links & Media
News
- April 05, 2024
First-Ever Spring Education Mini-Conference Hosted by Yale's EduCollaboratory
- March 01, 2024
Advancing SEL science & practice: The Education Collaboratory & #SELDay
- January 30, 2024
Education Collaboratory Team Member Spotlight: Dr. Melissa Lucas
- November 17, 2023
Rigor, Relevance, & Reality: Education Collaboratory at Yale Advancing SEL Science & Practice