I was honored to accept an invitation to speak at the Court-Appointed Special Advocates training conference, “Effective Mentors, Empowered Youth” on June 9, 2018. I was able to disseminate research findings that Gary Germo and I have been analyzing in the last year and learned more about nonprofit work and careers.

Congratulations to my capstone students this year!!!

Esther S. Chang is very happy to announce the publication of a new mentoring scale based on a program evaluation of Court-Appointed Special Advocates of foster youth in California. The scale was developed with a colleague, former SUA adjunct professor of psychology, Gary Germo and is available as an Open Access Article published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.  

The above is Chhusang’s study developed while taking PSYCH 360: Cross Cultural Psychology

This is Ally’s capstone study results, now under review at a peer-reviewed journal!

This is Lucero….she is a data analyst hidden underneath. Her capstone was an attempt to understand cultural variations and similarities between Mexico and the US in K-pop fan behaviors. She surveyed US and Mexican self-identified Kpop fans and we both learned that she really likes to work on SPSS and is fantastic at data analysis! When Lucero asked me to be her capstone mentor, I was thrilled! I always saw her around the bistro and she played a big role in student affairs for my Core 1 class at one point. I wondered why she only took Intro Psych? I hope that by working with me Lucero realizes (that I don’t bite) her potential as a critical thinker and number cruncher!!!!

I’ve had much more time with Chhusang…She is a Nepali superwoman! I have had her in class since Core 1. The fondest memory I have of her is when she arrived to my office all dressed up to do her final oral exam in Core 1. She was so nervous and so professional at the same time! I remember thinking that Chhusang was going to do well at Soka, and I was right (self-fulfilling prophecy? I hope so!). Chhusang self-selected to endure the grind of my Core 2 and came back to me in Cross-Cultural Psychology, a course that she thrived in! She independently conducted two capstone studies, one while on study abroad and another during the capstone year. She will present her study 1 at WPA (on self-efficacy and achievement in young women) and we plan on doing Study 2 (leadership and androgyny in females) again online with adults!

Thank you both Lucero and Chhusang for the opportunity to be part of your senior year as a capstone mentor. You both have brought a lot of meaning and purpose to an incomprehensible year!

Presenting my capstone students from the Class of 2019 and some of their family members!

This is my latest research collaboration, with Yuying Tsong from Cal State Fullerton. We developed a measure of parental involvement in youth’s weight management goals. There was a lot of interest in the topic during the poster session.

Jianmin and Shota, Class of 2017 seniors and research assistants of mine this year, presented their work at WPA in Sacramento on the day that their capstone was due.

This presentation was Jianmin’s senior capstone study: Shao, J.* & Chang, E.S. Psychological Adjustment of Chinese LGB Individuals: Effects of Minority Stress and Perceived Social Support from Friends and Family. Poster submitted to be presented at the  biennial meetings of the  Western Psychological Association, Sacramento, April, 2017. [Copy of presentation: WPA 2017 Social support]

The second presentation was an analysis of the life goals of sexual minority emerging adults in contemporary China. Shao, J.*, Kawasaki, S., & Chang, E.S. Where is the Future?: Life Goals of Chinese LGB young adults. Poster submitted to be presented at the biennial meetings of the Western Psychological Association, Sacramento, April, 2017. [Copy of presentation: WPA 2017 Life Goals]

* This student author was selected by the WPA Program Review Committee for the 2017 Western Psychological Foundation Student Scholarship Award.

Congratulations Jianmin!