McNair Scholar 2019 -Milena Cornejo
Milena Cornejo is a senior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, majoring in psychology with a minor in child psychology. Her research interests revolve around understanding how cultural values influence socialization practices in families, gender roles, child outcomes and how this cultural knowledge can inform counseling interventions. Ms. Cornejo plans on getting her Ph.D. in Counseling or Developmental Psychology.
Quote from Milena Cornejo
My dream is to receive a Ph.D. in Psychology. I want to become a professor and conduct research into better supporting individuals from diverse communities as well as implement these findings in practice and interventions with families, children, and women.
Research project
The Protective Role of Hispanic Ethnicity on the Relationship Between Stress and Executive Functioning in Preschool-Aged Children
Abstract: Executive function (EF) is an important cognitive skill set for academic success (Carlson, Zelazo, & Faja, 2014). Although EF skills are protective in the context of adversity, whether race/ethnicity and parent stress play a role in child EF remains undetermined. We investigated the link between stressful life events and child EF in 2- and 3-year-olds (n=111) and whether that relationship was moderated by child race/ethnicity. Neither stress nor race/ethnicity directly predicted EF, but the two interacted to marginally predict EF (t=1.95, p = 0.05). More stressful life events were associated with lower EF scores in White children, but the opposite was true for Hispanic children: more stressful life events were related to higher EF scores. This finding points to the potential variation in parenting styles under stress as influenced by cultural norms and expectations. Future research should investigate the dynamics within these families to inform interventions for families experiencing multiple stressors.
Faculty mentor
Dr. Megan R. Gunnar at the University of Minnesota is the Developmental Psychology Department Chair, Director of the Institute of Child Development, a Regents Professor and a Distinguished McKnight University Professor. Dr. Gunnar attended Stanford University where she received her Ph. D. in Developmental Psychology. Her research specializes in the study of stress neurobiology and developmental trajectories in children. Dr. Gunnar is extensively published in research journals and has presented her work at conferences worldwide. Dr. Gunnar has been a McNair faculty mentor for a year now and enjoys a diversity of opportunities for mentorship.