Jennifer L. Maggs

Jennifer L. Maggs is a Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at The Pennsylvania State University, where she has served since 2004 (initially as Associate Professor before promotion in 2010). She holds affiliate positions with the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and UCL's Centre for Longitudinal Studies. Her 2020-2023 Edna Bennett Pierce Faculty Fellowship in Prevention Research highlights her research leadership.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, University of Victoria (1993)
• M.A. in Developmental Psychology, University of Victoria (1990)
• B.A. (Honours) in Psychology, University of Ottawa (1986)

Research Focus: Dr. Maggs conducts developmental epidemiological research on substance use etiology and prevention during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Her NIH-funded projects examine bidirectional links between normative development (e.g., puberty, peer relationships) and substance use patterns. Key research areas include: longitudinal cohort studies, high-intensity drinking, e-cigarette adoption, and family influences during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publication Trends: Recent articles (2020-2025) predominantly analyze vaping behaviors, pandemic-related substance use changes, and policy impacts using longitudinal datasets. Methodologically, they feature: cohort studies, daily diary designs, and multigenerational analyses. Substantively, they cluster around adolescent risk behaviors, family dynamics during crises, and policy evaluation.

Awards:

• Edna Bennett Pierce Faculty Fellow in Prevention Research (2020-2023)

Grants & Advising: She leads multiple NIH grants including the Parents and Adolescent Siblings Study and E-cigarette Tobacco Control project. Actively mentors graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in research design, analysis, and publication development.

Collaborations: Works extensively with research teams at Penn State's Prevention Research Center and University of Michigan. Current projects involve multi-site collaborations analyzing national cohort data (e.g., UK Millennium Cohort Study, Monitoring the Future).