Maria Kalantzis

Maria Kalantzis is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Psychology at Bowling Green State University, where she works under Dr. Abby Braden. She also holds an adjunct position at her alma mater, North Central College. Her research focuses on integrating qualitative and quantitative methodologies to study the impacts of discrimination on health behaviors, particularly eating disorders among ethnic minority women and marginalized communities. She has developed novel single-session interventions for eating disorders and received funding from the Arab American Center of Philanthropy to investigate eating disorder symptoms in Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African American women. Additionally, she explores mental well-being among musicians and the philosophy of science. Maria advocates for anti-racist curricula in her teaching and research.

Education:

• Ph.D. Candidate in Psychology, Bowling Green State University
• Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (Alma Mater: North Central College)

Research Interests: Maria’s work emphasizes health psychology, eating disorders, and cultural contexts. Her studies address acculturative stress, mindfulness in healthcare, and the intersection of mental health with sociocultural factors. She employs ecological momentary assessment and mixed-methods approaches to contextualize eating behaviors and discrimination’s effects. Her secondary interests include mental health in musicians and philosophical frameworks in scientific inquiry.

Grants & Funding: Funded by the Arab American Center of Philanthropy for a study on eating disorders in Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African American women.

Labs & Collaborations: Collaborates with Dr. Abby Braden and her research team at Bowling Green State University, focusing on marginalized communities and innovative intervention strategies.