Samantha Francois

Associate Professor, Psychology

SFrancois@clarku.edu

Samantha Francois is a developmental scientist with expertise in adolescent development, structural violence, and anti-racist research. As an interdisciplinary, community-engaged scholar, Francois uses systems perspectives and critical race theory to understand the intersections of individual, community, and structural factors that impact development in Black and African American adolescents and emerging adults. She also conducts intervention research on youth-led organizing and activism as violence prevention strategies. Francois uses community-based, participatory, and action research frameworks to conduct mixed-methods research studies with marginalized and oppressed communities with the goals of health equity, social transformation, and community liberation. Dr. Francois was recently co-executive director of Tulane University’s Violence Prevention Institute and co-director of the Center for Youth Equity, a CDC Center of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention. Francois has a doctorate in psychological sciences from Tulane University.
Degrees
- Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences, Tulane University, 2009
- M.S. in Psychological Sciences, Tulane University, 2007
- M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction, Xavier University, 2001
- B.S. in Psychology, Smith College, 1998
Affiliated Department(s)
- Psychology Department
Scholarly and Creative Works
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- Article in Refereed Journal
  
  Social capital and changes of psychologic distress during early stage of COVID-19 in New orleans
  
  Published in Scientific reports
  
  ●
  
  2024
  
  ●
  
  Vol. 14
  
  ●
  
  Issue #1
  
  Kimberly Wu
  ,
  Erica Doe
  ,
  Gabriella Roude
  ,
  Jasmine Wallace
  ,
  Samantha Francois
  ,
  Lisa Richardson
  ,
  Katherine Theall
- Article in Refereed Journal
  
  Navigating COVID-19 and racial trauma as a Black student at predominantly White institutions
  
  Published in American journal of community psychology
  
  ●
  
  2023
  
  Samantha Francois
  ,
  Joan Blakey
  ,
  Rae Stevenson
  ,
  Timothy Walker
  ,
  Curtis Davis
- Article in Refereed Journal
  
  In it Together: Sense of Community and Psychologic Distress During COVID-19
  
  Published in Research square
  
  ●
  
  2023
  
  Kimberly Wu
  ,
  Erica Doe
  ,
  Gabriela Roude
  ,
  Jasmine Wallace
  ,
  Samantha Francois
  ,
  Lisa Richardson
  ,
  Katherine Theall
- Article in Refereed Journal
  
  The influence of racial violence in neighborhoods and schools on the psycho-behavioral outcomes in adolescence
  
  Published in Research in human development
  
  ●
  
  2023
  
  ●
  
  Vol. 20
  
  ●
  
  Issue #1-2
  
  Samantha Francois
  ,
  Kimberly Wu
  ,
  Erica Doe
  ,
  Amber Tucker
  ,
  Katherine Theall
- Article in Refereed Journal
  
  Perceived parenting practices associated with African American adolescents' future expectations
  
  Published in Advances in child development and behavior
  
  ●
  
  2023
  
  ●
  
  Vol. 64
  
  Michael Cunningham
  ,
  Samantha Francois
  ,
  Kristin Scott
- Article in Refereed Journal
  
  Spencer's phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST): Charting its origin and impact
  
  Published in The American psychologist
  
  ●
  
  2023
  
  ●
  
  Vol. 78
  
  ●
  
  Issue #4
  
  Michael Cunningham
  ,
  Dena Swanson
  ,
  Joseph Youngblood
  ,
  Eleanor Seaton
  ,
  Samantha Francois
  ,
  Christopher Ashford

Samantha Francois

Degrees

Affiliated Department(s)

Scholarly and Creative Works