معرفی
Laura Scaramella, Ph.D., is the Director of the Norton School of Human Ecology and holds the Fitch Nesbitt Endowed Chair in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Arizona. She leads the Family in Transition Research Lab and has a background in family studies, child development, and psychology. Prior roles include department chair at the University of New Orleans and postdoctoral fellowships at Vanderbilt University and Iowa State University. Her research focuses on parenting behaviors, genetic and environmental influences on child development, temperament, and intergenerational effects in family systems.
Scaramella's academic career includes leadership in challenging academic environments, such as post-Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts at the University of New Orleans. She emphasizes strengthening research in Family Studies and developing Consumer Sciences programs at the Norton School. Her work bridges biological, psychological, and social factors affecting child and family well-being, with a focus on vulnerable populations and preventive interventions.
Her research spans topics like gene-environment interactions, parenting styles, and developmental outcomes across infancy to adolescence. Key contributions include studies on maternal depression’s neurobiological impacts, the role of social support in mitigating child abuse risks, and temperament’s influence on child behavior. She has advised on adoption studies and interventions for socially disadvantaged families.
