معرفی
Sharon Christ is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University, with joint appointments in the Department of Statistics, College of Science, and courtesy appointments in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She serves as Co-Director of The Methodology Center at Purdue (MCAP) and is actively involved in research focusing on statistics, statistical modeling, adolescent development, and aging. Her work spans multiple research areas including Health and Well-Being, Interpersonal Relations, and Military Families.
Dr. Christ received her PhD in Sociology from the University of North Carolina in 2008, an MS in Statistics from the same institution in 2004, an MA in Sociology in 2002, and a BA in Sociology & Political Science from the University of Minnesota in 1994.
Her research primarily focuses on applications in the social, behavioral, and health sciences, with expertise in structural equation modeling (SEM) with latent variables, multilevel (mixed effects) models, longitudinal modeling, and analysis of complex sample data. She investigates measurement of social constructs, missing data, and selection problems, often using large nationally representative datasets as well as data from observation and experimental designs. A significant portion of her recent work examines child maltreatment experiences in adolescence and their impacts on well-being outcomes including academic achievement, aggressive behaviors, and mental health.
Analysis of Dr. Christ's recent publications reveals a strong focus on developmental language disorders, military family research, and statistical methodology. Her work increasingly integrates retrieval practice techniques for language learning in children with developmental disorders, examines long-term trajectories of mental health outcomes in military families, and investigates the relationship between physical activity, stress, and health outcomes in diverse populations. There's a clear interdisciplinary trend across her publications, bridging statistics, psychology, speech-language pathology, and military family research.
Dr. Christ has received numerous awards and honors including:
- University Faculty Scholar, Purdue University (2022-present)
- Christine M. Ladisch Faculty Leadership Award, Purdue University (2022)
- Faculty Leadership Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (FLAIR) Fellow, Purdue University (2020)
- Honorable Mention for Disruption Paper Competition, National Foundation to End Child Abuse and Neglect (2019)
- College of Science Team Award for Statistics Living Learning Community, Purdue University (2015)
- Center for Aging and the Life Course Outstanding Professor Award for Exceptional Teaching and Mentoring of Emerging Scholars in Aging, Purdue University (2014)
Dr. Christ actively mentors graduate students and is accepting applications for the December 1, 2024 deadline. She has secured significant research funding, including as Co-Principal Investigator for the 'Interdisciplinary Summer Institute on the Analysis of Complex, Large-Scale Longitudinal Data' from the National Institute on Drug Abuse ($365,129, 2024-2027) and as Co-Investigator on multiple substantial grants from agencies including the U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command, National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Dr. Christ is affiliated with several research centers at Purdue including the Center for Families, The Military Family Research Institute, The Methodology Center at Purdue (MCAP), and the Center on Aging and the Life Course. These affiliations support her interdisciplinary research on family dynamics, military families, statistical methodology, and aging processes.
