McNair Scholar 2021 - Quynh Nhu Dao
Quynh Nhu Dao is a rising senior studying developmental psychology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Her research interests include how racial/ethnic identity development affects academic and psychological outcomes. She hopes to earn her Ph.D. in developmental psychology and become a tenured professor that will allow her to work on research while teaching.
Quote from Quynh Nhu Dao
My dream is to obtain a Ph.D. and make a difference within the field of developmental psychology through research and teaching. As a first-generation student, I hope to create a program that will support underrepresented students in higher education.
Research project
Academic Achievement in Transracial Adoptees: The Role of Emotion Regulation, Parental Involvement and Diversity of Classroom
Abstract: In the United States, over 40% of adoptions are cross-ethnic or transracial. Compared to monoracial adoptees, transracially adopted children may face more challenges adjusting to the new environment, potentially having more challenges to perform well academically. However, to date, no study has examined the academic achievement gap between transracial and monoracial adoptees at the preschool age. The purpose of this study is to examine the difference in academic achievement in transracially and monoracially adopted children and to explore factors that may explain the differences. We analyzed data from a longitudinal study examining psychosocial development in international adoptees. The current sample consists of 82 transracial and 22 monoracial adoptees. A linear regression model showed no significant main effect of adoption status on the child’s academic achievement and no moderation effect of emotion regulation, parental involvement, or diversity of the classroom. Our findings contributed to the literature on the achievement gap between transracial and monoracial adoptees. Future research should include replications of studies like this with a bigger sample size and consider other factors that may affect academic achievement in international adoptees.
Faculty mentor
Megan R. Gunnar, Ph.D. is a Regents Professor and Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at Stanford University in 1978 and then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Psycho-neuroendocrinology at Stanford Medical School. In 1979 she became an assistant professor of developmental psychology at the University of Minnesota, moving through the ranks to full professor in 1990. Professor Gunnar has spent her career studying how stress biology affects human brain and behavioral development and the processes that help children regulate stress and emotions.
Danruo Zhong, M.A. is a third-year graduate student at the Institute of Child Development of the University of Minnesota. Her research interests lie in stress neurobiology through childhood and adolescence. She is particularly interested in how early life adversity shapes children and adolescents’ cardiometabolic system and affect children’s mental and physical health in the long run.