معرفی
Jacqueline V. Lerner is a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Developmental & Educational Psychology at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development. She holds a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on character and positive youth development in adolescents and young adults, particularly in out-of-school settings and faith-based programs. Key areas include spirituality’s role in development, cross-national youth programs, and the impact of contextual safety.
Education: Ph.D., Applied Developmental Psychology, Pennsylvania State University.
Research interests span
- Positive Youth Development (PYD) frameworks
- Spirituality and resilience in marginalized youth
- Global program evaluations (El Salvador, Rwanda)
- Role of intentional self-regulation in character development
Recent work highlights:
- Analysis of youth perceptions in faith-based programs
- Cross-cultural PYD comparisons
- Development of program assessment tools (e.g., “Big Three” components)
Grants include leadership on the Compassion International Study ($2.9M) and longitudinal 4-H PYD studies ($8.3M total). Collaborations emphasize international partnerships and interdisciplinary approaches combining developmental science with program implementation.
Labs/Teams: Core contributor to the Lynch School’s PYD research cluster, coordinating global field studies and measurement development initiatives.
