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Tracy Nichols, Associate Professor
161-K McIver Building
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
(336) 256-8504 (office)
(336) 256-1158 (fax)
trnicho2@uncg.edu
Curriculum Vita
I received my undergraduate degree from the New School for Social Research, followed by a master's degree in general psychology from Hunter College. In 2002, I received my doctorate in developmental psychology from Columbia University where I studied under Dr. Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, a renowned expert in girls’ development and pubertal timing. For 17 years, I worked closely with Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, a leading authority in school-based drug prevention strategies, at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. I played a critical role in the development and evaluation of his state-of-the-art adolescent drug and violence prevention program, entitled Life Skills Training.
Research InterestsI am interested in how the social and environmental contexts of settings affect health practices, particularly among women and adolescent girls. I have studied multiple settings as a context for health promotion interventions, including schools, after-school programs, homeless shelters, and families. Within each setting I am particularly interested in how interpersonal relationships affect health practices and values. I am also interested in how messages regarding gender, race, and class norms are transmitted within these settings and how these messages affect individual’s participation in both health-promoting and risky health behaviors. My current interests include expanding our knowledge of how both gender-appropriate and transformative interventions can be developed and evaluated within family and community settings. As such I am committed to translating the intersections of individual behavior, social-ecology of settings, and the social constructions of race, class, gender and health into effective intervention strategies. Methodologically I incorporate quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method designs as appropriate to the specific research question.
Current StudiesThe majority of my current research agenda focuses on within-gender studies of women’s health and development across the lifespan. While my primary interest is the design, development, evaluation and refinement of gender-appropriate and transformative interventions, I am also interested in examining how biological and social transitions interact with lifestyle behaviors, relationships, and health. Particularly important to me are interventions that can be implemented during critical transition points within a woman’s lifespan that make health behavior change more salient and/or interventions that incorporate support through the development or maintenance of critical interpersonal relationships. My current research studies include:
BRIGHT: Building Relationships Involves Growing Healthy Together. The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences and perceptions of urban mother-daughter dyads in order to develop effective and meaningful family-based health promotion interventions. Analysis for this project is on-going.
Women’s Ways, Women’s Days. This multi-method study was designed to examine the daily health practices of women engaged in active mothering. The aim of the study was to understand the self-care challenges that arise for women when they are responsible for the care of their families and to identify the strategies that women employ to meet these challenges. To achieve these aims the study used indepth interviews and ecological momentary assessments (EMA). Analysis for this project is on-going.
Pregnant and Parenting Students: Examining School Climate and Perceived Need for Support Services. This qualitative study examines UNCG pregnant and parenting (P&P) students’ perceived needs in terms of support services; the degree to which they feel these needs are currently being met; and the degree to which they feel their pregnant and/or parenting status is accepted and supported within the institution. In addition this study examines perceptions that other critical institutional members (faculty, staff, administration and non-P&P students) hold regarding the needs of P&P students in the university as well as the degree to which support services should be provided for this population. Data collection and analysis for this project is currently on going. Data generated from the study will be use to raise awareness across campus on this issue as well as to begin discussions on strategies for providing additional support.
Current Courses:
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