Member Spotlight: Rosalie Corona, Ph.D.
Professor & Director of Clinical Training with the Department of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University; Member of the SRCD Latinx Caucus
What or Who inspired you to go into Child Development Research?
I've always loved working with children. I was blessed to work with two developmentalists in my younger years: Drs. Patricia Greenfieldvand Marian Sigman fueled my passion for the role of culture in development and children with diverse and unique needs.
Do you have a mentor or mentors who have been instrumental in your career and, if so, who and how?
I will be forever grateful to the guidance counselor in college who told me that I could do whatever I wanted to do and who guided and supported me throughout my four years at UC Irvine. As a first-generation student, his mentorship and guidance were instrumental in getting me to where I am now. As a graduate student, I was blessed with peer mentors in the Developmental Program at UCLA who supported my career goals while also keeping me grounded in the field of developmental psychology. As a clinical psychology student focused on working with children and youth, having a strong foundation in development is crucial for understanding youth symptoms and diagnoses. I have had many many mentors over the years and I am grateful to them all!
What advice would you give to a Graduate student beginning their Ph.D. studies in Developmental Science or related?
Find a conference buddy who can help you out of your comfort zone and who will always support you. Be open to new ideas and try new things. And, remember, being a graduate student is only 1 of your identities. Nourish your other identities as best as you can because it's the combination and intersection of them all that makes you who you are!
What are some of your hobbies?
I enjoy reading. Now that my children are older, I'm re-discovering my passion for reading for fun. It's especially fun to talk with my young adult daughters about the books we read. I also love to travel and take photographs.
What publication or book would you say is a must-read in the field (and why)?
Buchanan, N. T., Perez, M., Prinstein, M. J., & Thurston, I. B. (2021). Upending racism in psychological science: Strategies to change how science is conducted, reported, reviewed, and disseminated. American Psychologist, 76(7), 1097.