Professor Nestor
Assistant Professor
Human Development and Developmental Psychology
University of Rochester
Bio
I'm an assistant professor at the University of Rochester, holding a joint appointment in Human Development at the Warner School of Education & Human Development and in Developmental Psychology at the Department of Psychology. I am the principal investigator of the Flourishing, Achievement Motivation, & Identity (FAM&I) research lab.
My research focuses on the assets that families possess that help minoritized teens flourish in their education and overall development. I'm particularly interested in how parents and other family members help youth become academically successful, develop strong racial/ethnic & gender identities, and pursue important life goals.
I also work with community programs to help families enhance their support at home through parent-informed and theory-based resources (e.g., workshops and information booklets). Through these applied activities, I aim to strengthen authentic, asset-based partnerships between institutions and families.
- Updates & Media -
New Publication! @ Developmental Psychology: Black and Latine Parent’s Science and Math Support Matters: How Patterns of Parent Support Relate to Adolescents’ Motivational Beliefs and Course Taking Across High School
New Publication! @ Social Psychology of Education!: “If I can’t help, I find someone who can”: Lower-SES Latine parents’ adaptive responses to math support challenges
Co-PI on 2024 Spencer Small Research Grant: Examining the academic toll of online racial trauma exposure on college students at the University of Rochester
My Approaches to Research
Understanding diversity within racially/ethnically minoritized communities
Harnessing the cultural funds of knowledge and the strengths that parents, youth, and families possess
Leveraging complementary insights from qualitative and quantitative methodologies
Theories that Guide Me
Eccles' Situated Expectancy-Value Theory
Family Academic Socialization Model
Integrative Model for the Study of Developmental Competencies in Minority Children
Stage-Environment Fit Theory
Cultural Microsystems Theory
Family Systems Theory
Methods to Answer My Questions
Quantitative Tools
Multi-wave (i.e., longitudinal) surveys
Structural equation models
Latent growth curve models
Latent class/profile/transition models
Software: Mplus, Stata, Comprehensive Meta-analysis, SPSS
Qualitative Tools
Semi-structured interviews
Inductive & deductive approaches
Grounded Theory analyses
Thematic analyses
Software: MaxQDA, NVivo and Excel