2025 SRCD Supported Pre-Conferences

Organizing Committee: 

• Matthew Diemer, University of Michigan 
• Aixa Marchand, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign 
• Michael Frisby, Georgia State University 

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 
Location: Hilton Minneapolis (Room: TBD) 
Spaces Available: 40 
Registration Fees: $65.00 (Student, Early Career, LMIC) | $115.00 (Professional)  

Sound measurement is foundational to quantitative methodology and developmental science. However, the racist history of quantitative methodology and measurement lead some to the conclusion that these approaches are irredeemable. Instead, acknowledging this history and repurposing quantitative methodology leads toward a more equitable, anti-racist, and critical quantitative perspective.  

This workshop will explore measurement within two emergent perspectives: Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) and the Critical Quantitative (CritQuant) framework. We will emphasize CritQuant, which is anchored by five guiding principles (i.e., foundation, goals, parity, subjectivity, and self-reflexivity) to mitigate racism (and/or other systems of oppression) and advance social justice.  

Within the CritQuant framework, MIMIC (Multiple Indicator and Multiple Causes) models help researchers enact equity-oriented measurement by testing for latent mean differences and item intercept differences (i.e., DIF) across identity groups. These are important questions in developmental science, such as whether a measure of perceived discrimination is equally precise across groups. By providing more fair measurement, this approach positions researchers to contribute to more equitable developmental science. 

Software Requirements 

Attendees can choose from one of two software options for the workshop, for the lab or “hands on” portions. 

Option 1: Download and install R and RStudio, here is an online installing guide. Once you have R and Rstudio installed, you can install the psych, lavaan, and lavaanPlot R packages. Please complete installing R and RStudio (including troubleshooting issues) prior to the first meeting as we will not have time to troubleshoot installation issues.  

Option 2: Download the free demo version of the MPlus software program, prior to the first meeting. The MPlus demo can be downloaded via statmodel.com. The MPlus demo version has no limitations on the kinds of analysis you can do but allows no more than six dependent variables and two independent variables. If you have access to the full version of MPlus, it is even better (but not required). As a reference, you may want to also download the (free) Mplus users guide from the MPlus website: statmodel.com 

Session Agenda (Subject to Change) 

**Lunch will be provided for all registered participants.** 

For more information about this program, please contact Matthew Diemer Matt Diemer at diemerm@umich.edu or Michael Frisby at mfrisby@gsu.edu.  

We would like to thank our sponsors at Statistical Horizons for contributing to this Pre-Conference. 

Organizing Committee: 

• Zehra Gulseven, Virginia Tech University 
• Sahitya Maiya, University of New Hampshire 
• Sarah Pierotti, Pennsylvania State University-DuBois Campus 
• Joy Roos, University of Missouri 

Time: 1:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis Convention Center (Room: TBD) 
Spaces Available: 50
Registration Fees: $65.00 

Across the past decade, an Annual Moral Development Pre-Conference at one of the major conferences in the field has served as an important space for researchers and theorists to gather and exchange ideas about the state of the area of moral development. This year’s pre-conference will focus on intergroup relations, sociopolitical conflict, and their impact on children's moral development. Given the increasing sociopolitical challenges in our societies, understanding intergroup relationships and the ways for supporting moral development and inhibiting conflicts among groups is of critical concern. The pre-conference will include opening remarks, two keynote speakers with time for Q&A, two small-group breakout sessions for discussion, and closing remarks.

We are delighted that Dr. Laura Taylor of University College Dublin and Dr. E. Mark Cummings of University of Notre Dame will be the keynote speakers. Dr. Laura Taylor is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at University College Dublin. Her research program, which has spanned across the country contexts of Colombia, Croatia, Northern Ireland, and the United States, examines the impact of political violence on children, families, and communities. More specifically, her work employs a resilience framework to identify the adaptive processes that result in positive adjustment among youth experiencing current and protracted political conflict. Importantly, Dr. Taylor has recently proposed a developmental framework which challenges our field to reposition youth as active agents whose prosocial behavior across micro-, exo-, and macro-systems contributes to peace building and social cohesion. Dr. E. Mark Cummings is the William J. Shaw Family Professor of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on relations between adaptive and maladaptive family processes and development in childhood and adolescence, including both international contexts and diverse cultures. Additionally, Dr. Cummings’ work includes basic and intervention research on political violence, armed conflict, and their effects on child and family adjustment. Dr. Cummings’ distinguished research and expertise in intergroup relations, political violence, and armed conflict will provide valuable insights and greatly enrich our pre-conference and group discussions. 

Session Agenda (Subject to Change) 

For more information about this program, please contact Sarah Pierotti at slp5723@psu.edu. 

Deadline to submit to this Pre-Conference is Monday, January 27, 2025. 

Organizing Committee: 

• Joshua Felver, Cornell University  
• Danielle Rosenscruggs, University of Michigan 
• Julie Poehlmann-Tynan, University of Wisconsin-Madison 
• Justin Parent, University of Rhode Island 
• Liliana Lengua, University of Washington 

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. 
Location: Hilton Minneapolis (Room: TBD)
Spaces Available: 175
Registration Fees: $85.00 (Student, Early Career, LMIC) | $125.00 (Professional) – without CEU Credits (5.5 CEU Credit) 
$110.00 (Student, Early Career, LMIC) | $150.00 (Professional) – with CEU Credits 

This meeting brings together researchers and practitioners whose work promotes well-being in children and families through contemplative practices (e.g., mindfulness, compassion, self-compassion). The goal is to engage a larger, more diverse, and global audience with this area of research and foster interest among the next generation of scholars. Established and emerging investigators will present novel research, share research directions, stimulate discussion, and expand or build networks, developing a collaborative research agenda. Symposia, flash talks, and posters will focus on four themes: (1) Families Experiencing Adversity and Stress, (2) Parent Well-being and Parent-Child Relationships, (3) Mindfulness in School Settings, and (4) Mindfulness and Self-Compassion with Children, Youth, and Young Adults. Each theme will address diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, with a focus on historically marginalized populations, community-based implementation, and discussions of future directions for fostering inclusiveness. 

“Wayne State University - Department of Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Wayne State University - Department of Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.” 

To submit to the submitted program (Flash Talk and Poster Submission), us the following link: https://ccfwb.uw.edu/2025-conference-presentation-application/ 

Deadline to submit to this Pre-Conference is Monday, January 27, 2025. 

Session Agenda (Subject to Change) 

Organizing Committee: 

• Seanna Leath, Washington University 
• Naila A. Smith, University of Virginia 

Time: 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 
Location: Minneapolis Convention Center (Room: TBD) 
Spaces Available: 75
Registration Fees: $60.00 (Student, Early Career, LMIC) | $110.00 (Professional)

The SRCD Black Caucus is holding a pre-conference session to gather as a community of scholars, advocates, and professionals and confer on the health and well-being of the Black diasporic community through the lens of Afrofuturism. Most Afrofuturistic scholars embed critical social commentary in their work and encourage imagination as a tool of resistance. This pre-conference will offer space to discuss advances in developmental science, technology, and science writ large regarding the multiplicative ways we envision Black people in the future – growing, healing, and thriving. These future(s) require reckoning with social issues of the past and present, as well as strengths-based research, policies, and practices that address racially violent social norms that harm Black communities.  

Session Agenda (Subject to Change) 

Organizing Committee: 

• Doré R. LaForett, Child Trends 
• Barbara Rogoff, University of California at Santa Cruz 
• James Rodriguez, California State University, Bakersfield 
• Bethany Cruz, University of Texas at San Antonio 
• Esther Calzada, University of Texas at Austin  
• Alan Meca, University of Texas at San Antonio 

Time: 1:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis Convention Center (Room: TBD) 
Spaces Available: 100
Registration Fees: $65.00 (Student, Early Career, LMIC) | $90.00 (Professional) 

In 2025, the SRCD Latinx Caucus will mark 20 years of advancing a more representative science in Latinx child development research and advocacy. During this pre-conference session, we will celebrate our past, present, and future. To honor our past, founding members of the Latinx Caucus will reflect on the Latinx Caucus’ origins, with additional contributions from other key individuals in the Caucus’s history. To celebrate our present, we will spotlight Caucus members’ accomplishments in the areas of advancing Latinx child development research, building the capacity of Latinx developmental scholars, and elevating our voices through positions of leadership in developmental science. To launch the next chapter in the Caucus’s future, we will collectively discuss areas where Latinx Caucus members should focus their attention spanning scholarship, capacity-building, and leadership. 

Session Agenda (Subject to Change) 

The SRCD Latinx Caucus has sponsored this Pre-Conference to help offset the cost to participants. 

Organizing Committee: 

• Aya Shigeto, Nova Southeastern University (Committee Chair) 
• Eva Chen, Benedictine College (Committee Member)
• Lucia Alcalá, California State University-Fullerton (Committee Member) 

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 
Location: Hilton Minneapolis (Room: TBD)
Spaces Available: 125
Registration Fees:  $55.00 (Student/Early Career/LMIC) | $110.00 (Professional)  

The SRCD Developmental Science Teaching Institute, which takes place the day before SRCD’s Biennial Meeting, is designed for teachers of developmental science courses at all levels who wish to develop strategies for engaging students, explore new ideas, update their knowledge base, and share perspectives with like-minded professionals. Encompassing topics that are relevant to beginning and advanced teachers of developmental science alike, the Institute provides sessions of general interest on cutting-edge teaching practices, a variety of breakout sessions, a poster session, and opportunities for interaction to share ideas among participants.  

The Institute’s diverse presentation formats allow for informal exchange and enable participants to select an agenda that meets their professional development needs.  

Session Agenda (Subject to Change) 

For more information about this program, please contact the SRCD Science Team at scholar@srcd.org.  

Thank you to the Society for the Teaching of Psychology for its generous sponsorship of the Teaching Institute. 

Organizing Committee: 

• Dr. Sara Vecchiotti, Couch Family Foundation 
• SRCD Policy Committee, Conference Subcommittee 

Time: 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Hilton Minneapolis (Room: TBD)
Spaces Available: 75
Registration Fees: $10

Register Here

Learn how to design and communicate research that is useful for policymakers. This policy-focused session will honor Dr. Edward Zigler’s impactful legacy by featuring six researchers and policymakers who have used different models to successfully bridge the gap between developmental science and policy. Receive practical insights to enhance your engagement with the policymaking process, ensuring your work is both relevant and impactful. This session is aimed at all career and expertise stages. 

Panelists will share projects that helped to inform policy decisions across multiple policy areas, including early care and education, gun violence, child welfare, and more. A moderated discussion will address key how to align research with policymakers' needs, understanding policy timelines, and strategies for effective communication and dissemination. Discussion will explore how to center evidence and policy discussions impacting minoritized communities and offer guidance on making research actionable for diverse policy audiences.  

A facilitated networking reception will be held immediately after. 

Session Agenda (Subject to Change) 

For more information about this program, please contact the SRCD Policy Team at policy@srcd.org.