Abbie Goldberg
Professor, Psychology
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Dr. Goldberg received a B.A. from Wesleyan University in 1999, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts in 2001 and 2005, respectively. She has been at Clark since 2005.
Dr. Goldberg is interested in how a variety of social locations (e.g., gender, sexual orientation, social class) and contexts (e.g., work, family, community) shape processes of development and mental health. Her research focuses on parenthood, relationship quality, and well-being in diverse families (e.g., adoptive parent families, lesbian/gay parent families) in an effort to increase our understanding of family diversity. For over a decade, she has been conducting a longitudinal study of adoptive parenthood among lesbian, gay, and heterosexual couples. She is also currently conducting research on transgender students’ experiences in higher education. She teaches courses on the psychology of sexual orientation, human sexuality, diverse families, and ethics in clinical psychology.
Degrees
- Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2005
- M.S. in Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2001
- B.A. in Psychology, Wesleyan University, 1999
Affiliated Department(s)
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Scholarly and Creative Works
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SAGE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LGBTQ+ STUDIES.
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2024
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Qualitative family research: Innovative, flexible, theoretical, reflexive.
Published in Journal of Marriage and Family.
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2024
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To tell or not to tell: Disclosure experiences and perceived microaggressions among adopted adolescents with lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents.
Published in Journal of Adolescent Research. Advance online publication.
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2024
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Perceived impact of the parental rights in education bill (“Don’t Say Gay”) on LGBTQ+ parents in Florida.
Published in The Counseling Psychologist, 52(2), 224-266.
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2024
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LGBTQ parent concerns and parent-child communication about the Parental Rights in Education Bill (“Don’t Say Gay”) in Florida.
Published in Family Relations, 73, 318-339.
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2024
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1. “We Make It Better”: Trans and Nonbinary Resilience, Resistance, and Self-Reliance.” Panel organizer and moderator, Sage Publications virtual event, March 28, 2024. 2. “Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Schools: Challenges, Strategies, and Possibilities.” Panel organizer and moderator, Sage Publications virtual event, February 28, 2024. 3. “Trans Rights & Legislative Discrimination.” Invited (virtual) panelist, Sage Publications’ Social Justice Initiative, Trans Awareness Week, November 16, 2023. 4. “The Impact of Discriminatory and Affirming Laws on LGBTQ Parent Families.” Invited plenary speaker, the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) annual conference, Orlando FL (and Urbana IL), November 10, 2023. 5. “Divorce Involving LGBTQ Parents and Parents of Trans Children: Research and Considerations for Legal Professionals.” Keynote address, Massachusetts Guardians ad Litem (MAGAL) annual conference (theme: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Family Law Disputes), Waltham MA, October 6, 2023. 6. “Convening on the Regulation of Gametes.” Invited participant, Yale Law School, September 28-29, 2023. 7. “Work-family justice for LGBTQ+ individuals.” Panelist, Work-Family Research Network (WFRN) Virtual Conference, May 12, 203. 8. “LGBTQ family building: Research findings and future directions.” Keynote address, Conference on Gender and Sexual Minority Families: Evolution and Change, University of Texas at Austin, April 20, 2023.
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2023
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Perspectives of Florida parents on HB 1557, The Parental Rights in Education Act. The Williams Institute.
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2023
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Cherished families, unspoken truths: Navigating hidden and challenging family experiences while growing up with LGBTQ parents.
Published in Journal of Marriage & Family, 86, 219-244.
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2023
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From safety in silence to fighting for LGBTQ+ families: A reflection on the personal, professional, and political through a feminist lens.
Published in Journal of Family Theory & Review, 15, 219-234.
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2023
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LGBTQ-parent families: Diversity, intersectionality, and social context.
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2023
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Impact of HB 1557 (Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill) on LGBTQ+ parents in Florida.
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2023
The Williams Institute
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The (mis)representations of queer lives in true crime.
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2023
Routledge
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Invited Talks and Workshops (2022-2023): 1. “Creating welcoming and inclusive school environments for all: A focus on LGBTQ+ and adoptive families.” Instructor, Montessori Schools of Massachusetts, Professional Development Series, February-March, 2023. a. “Creating LGBTQ+ inclusive schools: A focus on school administrators,” February 16, 2023. b. “Creating LGBTQ+ inclusive schools: A focus on teachers and classrooms,” February 23, 2023. c. “Creating adoption inclusive schools,” March 9, 2023. 2. “LGBTQ family building: A guide for prospective parents.” Presenter, The Massachusetts Council on Mediation’s Reading Group, December 8, 2022. 3. “Divorce involving LGBTQ parents and parents of trans children: Research and considerations for mediators.” Keynote address, The Massachusetts Council on Mediation Annual Family Mediation Institute, December 1, 2022. 4. “Adoptive families and schools.” Invited lecture, The Chris Walsh Center at Framingham State, October 20, 2022. 5. “From research to the classroom: Understanding and supporting the adopted child’s school experience.” Keynote address, Connecticut Council on Adoption Mid-Year Training, June 10, 2022. 6. “Adopted children and schools: Real-life scenarios, strategies, and solutions.” Invited workshop, Connecticut Council on Adoption Mid-Year Training, June 10, 2022. 7. “A Q&A with Abbie E. Goldberg.” Invited talk and discussion, Clark University LGBTQ Alumni Association, Clark University, June 2, 2022.
8. “Conducting research with LGBTQ+ adoptive families.” Invited workshop, Rudd Summer Adoption Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA, May 25, 2022. 9. “LGBTQ issues in divorce and custody cases: Considerations for attorneys and mediators.” Invited speaker (via Zoom), Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, May 19, 2022. 10. “So you want to be a Twitter scholar?: A professional development webinar.” Invited speaker (via Zoom), Relevate webinar, May 18, 2022.●
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2022
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“I’m not just the nonbiological parent”: Encountering, strategizing, and resisting asymmetry and invalidation in genetic/gestational status among LGBTQ parents.
Published in Journal of Family Nursing
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2022
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White parents of adopted Black children in an era of racial reckoning: Challenges, tensions, and strategies.
Published in Journal of Marriage and Family
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2022
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Lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents’ perspectives on their adopted children’s puberty and approaches to puberty-related communication.
Published in Journal of Family Communication
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2022
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LGBTQ Parent Families: Diversity, intersectionality, and social context.
Published in Current Opinion in Psychology
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2022
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What do teachers know about adoptive families, and how do they use it to serve adopted children?
Published in Adoption Quarterly
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2022
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Associations between trans-inclusive resources and feelings of inclusion in campus LGBTQ+ groups: Differences for trans students of color.
Published in Psychology of Sexual Orientation & Gender Diversity
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2022
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The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies, 2nd edition
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2022
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Families as they really are.
Chapter: The transition to parenthood for LGBTQ people.●
2022
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Social parenthood in comparative perspective.
Chapter: A psychological perspective on the significance of legal recognition of diverse social parent relationships for children.Published by NYU Press
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2022
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The social science of same-sex marriage: LGBT people and their relationships in the era of marriage equality.
Chapter: Doing it for the kids? Motivations to marry and perceived effects of marriage among lesbian and gay parents.●
2022
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The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies
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2021
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Consensually nonmonogamous parent relationships during COVID-19.
Published in Sexualities
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2021
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Transgender graduate students: Considerations, tensions, and decisions in choosing a graduate program.
Published in J of Homosexuality
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2021
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Intimate partner violence in the LGBTQ+ community: Experiences, outcomes, and implications for primary care.
Published in Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice
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2021
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Vol. 48
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Parenting in a pandemic: Work-family arrangements, well-being, and intimate relationships among adoptive parents.
Published in Family Relations, 70(1), 7-25.
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2021
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Reconciling realities, adapting expectations, and reframing “success”: Adoptive parents respond to their children’s academic interests, challenges, and achievement.
Published in Children & Youth Services Review
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2021
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LGBTQ Parent Families
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2020
Springer
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Lesbian women disrupting gendered, heteronormative discourses of motherhood, marriage, and divorce
Published in Journal of Lesbian Studies
2020///
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2020
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Vol. 24
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Issue #1
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Open Adoption in Diverse Families: Complex Relationships in the Digital Age
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2019
Oxford
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Trans activism and advocacy among transgender students in higher education: A mixed methods study
Published in Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
2019/05/27/
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2019
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Adopting again: A qualitative study of the second transition to parenthood in adoptive families
Published in Adoption Quarterly
2019/06/18/
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2019
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Health behaviors and outcomes of parents in same-sex couples: An exploratory study
Published in Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity
2019/09//
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2019
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Vol. 6
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Issue #3
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Published in Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity
2019/11/25/
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2019
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Published in Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal
2019/10/05/
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2019
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Parental naming practices in same sex adoptive families
Published in Family Relations: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies
2019/10/04/
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2019
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Published in Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
2019/12/05/
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2019
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Published in Journal of Career Assessment
2019/08//
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2019
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Vol. 27
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Issue #3
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LGBTQ parents’ accounts of their children’s experiences with heterosexism in schools.
Published in Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
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Conference Presentations
1. Goldberg, A. E. (2022). From Seeking Safety in Silence to Speaking Up For LGBTQ Families: A Reflection on the Personal, Professional, and Political Through a Feminist Lens. Paper presented in the Theory Construction and Research Methodology Workshop: Reflexive Family Voices: Narrating the Personal, Professional, and Political, at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 14, 2022. 2. Goldberg, A. E. (2022, Discussant). Unveiling Complexity and Decision-Making in Queer Families. Symposium presented at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 16, 2022. 3. Silvert, L.,* & Goldberg, A. E. (2022). “It Felt Natural, Normal, and Very Much How it Should Be”: Reasons For Becoming a Parent Through Adoption Over Biological Pathways Among LGBTQ+ Individuals. Paper presented at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 16, 2022. 4. McCormick, N.,* & Goldberg, A. E. (2022). Factors in Decision-Making Among LGBTQ People Choosing Between Known and Unknown Sperm Donors. Paper presented at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 16, 2022. 5. Virginia, H.,* & Goldberg, A. E. (2022). Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents’ Communication Approaches to Puberty. Paper presented at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 16, 2022. 6. Logan, M.,* & Goldberg, A. E. (2022). Adoptive Families’ Experiences with Birth Family Contact During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Paper presented at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 16, 2022.●
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Resources for schools: Serving adopted students
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Resources for schools: Inclusion of LGBTQ Parent Families
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LGBTQ family building: A guide for prospective parents.
American Psychological Association
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Sourcebook of family theories and methodologies.
Chapter: Feminist theories: Knowledge, method, and praxis.●
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The psychology of fatherhood.
Chapter: Gay, bisexual, and queer fatherhood.●
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Failed” matches, child removals, and disrupted placements: Devastating and invisible losses during the family building journey for LGBTQ adoptive parents
Published in Journal of Family Nursing.
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School-aged adopted children’s early responses to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Published in Family Relations
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The impact of COVID-19 on child welfare-involved families: Implications for parent-child reunification and child welfare professionals.
Published in Developmental Child Welfare
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). “I want to be safe…and I also want a job”: Career considerations and decision-making among trans adults pursuing post-graduate education.
Published in The Counseling Psychologist
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Apart, but still together: Separated parents living in limbo during COVID-19.
Published in Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
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Divorced and separated parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Published in Family Process
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“Life is already hard enough”: Lesbian and gay adoptive parents’ experiences and concerns after the 2016 presidential election.
Published in Couple & Family Psychology,
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Family building desires among a sample of transgender and nonbinary students.
Published in Journal of GLBT Family Studies
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In A. Shanok & N. Eden (Eds.), Thriving in graduate school: The experts guide. Rowman & Littlefield.
Chapter: “To be your best self”: Surviving and thriving as a trans grad student.●
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In C. Price & K. Bush (Eds.), Families and change (6th edition) (pp. 127-154).
Chapter: LGBQ-parent families: Development and functioning in context.●
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People said we were nuts … I understand what they were saying now”: The transition to parenthood in sibling group adoption.
Published in Children & Youth Services Review, 116, 105-209.
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Community characteristics, victimization, and psychological adjustment among school-aged adopted children with lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents.
Published in Frontiers in Psychology, 11(372). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00372
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“We don’t exactly fit in, but we can’t opt out”: Gay fathers’ experiences navigating parent communities in schools.
Published in Journal of Marriage & Family, 82, 1655-1676.
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Lesbian adoptive mothers’ emotional responses and adaptation in the wake of relationship dissolution.
Published in Journal of Women & Aging, 33, 184-200.
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Chapter: Goldberg, A. E. (2019). Experiences of trans/gender nonconforming graduate students in higher education.●
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Chapter: 6. Goldberg, A. E., & Roe, C. (2019). The seven core issues and LGBTQ families. In S. Roszia & A. Maxon (Eds.), Seven core issues in adoption and permanency: What they are and why they matter●
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Chapter: Postpartum depression and anxiety in male-partnered and female-partnered sexual minority women: A longitudinal study.●
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Awards & Grants
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Research Communications Grant: Lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parents’ experiences in elementary school.
Spencer Foundation
Apr. 14, 2021 - Apr. 25, 2022
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Awarded faculty affiliate status
UMASS Amherst
2019
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The Jan and Larry Landry University Professor, Clark University (endowed chair; 3 years)
2020
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Lee Gurel/John E. Bell Faculty Mentor Award in Psychology, Clark University
2022
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2022 Inaugural Relevate Distinguished Scholar, awarded for impactful public scholarship, Relevate 2022
Relevate
2022
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Best Reference Title of 2021 (Social Sciences)
Library Journal
2022
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2022, Best reference title of 2021 (SAGE encyclopedia of Trans Studies)
Library Journal
2022
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ee Gurel/John E. Bell Faculty Mentor Award in Psychology
Psychology Dept
2022
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Inaugural Relevate Distinguished Scholar, awarded for impactful public scholarship
Relevate
2022
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Research Incentive Award, Clark University
Clark University
2022
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David P. Angel Senior Faculty Award
2022
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2023 Fellow Award (outstanding contributions to family science)
National Council on Family Relations
2023
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Finalist, INDIE Awards
INDIE book publishers
2023
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Laura Brown Award (outstanding contributions in lesbian, bisexual, trans women’s psychology),
APA
2023
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Fellow (outstanding contributions to family science)
National Council on Family Relations
2023
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