Kaylin Ratner

Kaylin Ratner is an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with both the College of Education and the Department of Educational Psychology. Her research focuses on adolescents' and emerging adults' identity development, mental health, and purpose in life. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Development from Cornell University and a B.S. in Psychology (Honors) from the University of Central Florida.

Dr. Ratner’s work examines how psychosocial processes like identity, purpose, and derailment intersect with mental health and educational experiences. Her studies explore how school transitions, out-of-school programs (e.g., GripTape), and supportive environments influence psychosocial development. She directs the Self and Psychological Well-being (SAP) Lab, which translates research into practical interventions.

Her professional roles include co-chair of the Identity Issues Topic Network (Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood) and a CoE Public Engagement Faculty Fellow (2023-24). She collaborates with organizations like 4-H and GripTape to foster youth purpose and self-direction.

Key research themes include derailment (sense of being off-course in life), its links to depression, and the role of educational contexts in shaping identity. Her work bridges developmental theory with applied research to improve youth well-being.