Zoe Taylor

Associate Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Science

Areas of Expertise

adolescent development
mental health and wellbeing
resilience processes
Latine youth and families
single mother families

HHS Signature Research Area(s)

Developmental Health and Wellness
Sustainable Organizations and Thriving Communities

Department of Human Development and Family Science Research Area(s)

Culture and Diversity
Health and Well-Being

Biography

My work mixed-method program of research centers on the mental health, resilience, and developmental well-being of youth and families impacted by poverty and other structural stressors, with a specific emphasis on Latine [im]migrant farm worker and rural communities. My research takes an interdisciplinary approach, integrating developmental and family science, cultural psychology, and public health. My first line of research assesses resilience processes associated with the mental health of predominantly rural Latine youth from [im]migrant families in non-traditional U.S. locations. Supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, my work has built new knowledge about unique subpopulations, in particular the mental health of Latine youth in rural and farmworker families in the Midwest. My second research area addresses the mental health of primary caregivers. My research has advanced both empirical and theoretical knowledge of single mother families by identifying key strengths and protective factors contributing to their well-being and mental health, and in turn, to their parenting and their children’s outcomes. Broadly, I am interested in how individuals and families succeed, stay healthy, and do well despite hardships, transitions and challenge. My research has been externally funded by the National Institute of Minority Health Disparities (NIMHD), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the Spencer Foundation, and internally funded by the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF), the Kinley Trust, the Center For Families (CFF), and the Agricultural Research and Extension Leading to Economic Development in Indiana Agriculture and Rural Communities (AgSEED).

Accepting graduate student applications for the December 1, 2025 deadline.

Education

Ph.D. 2011, University of California, Davis

Websites

Social Media Accounts

Current Courses

HDFS 210 - Introduction to Human Development
HDFS 332 - Stress and Coping in Contemporary Families
HDFS 225 - Human Development across Cultures
HDFS 619 - Adolescent and Youth Development in Context

Selected Honors/Awards

Lorene Burkhart Award for Excellence in Research about Families/Center for Families at Purdue University - 2025
Purdue Trailblazer Award for Outstanding Mid-Career Research and Scholarship - 2023
Fulbright U.S. Scholar/Fulbright-Schuman European Union Affairs Program - October 2021- February 2022
Lorene Burkhart Award for Excellence in Research about Families/Center for Families at Purdue University - April 8, 2021
Purdue Seed for Success Acorn Award recipient - 2021
Kontos Faculty Fellow, Center for Families, Purdue University - 2017- 2018
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Loan Repayment Program (LRP) - 2012-2018

Selected Grants

NIMHD Administrative Supplement to Recognize Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Mentorship Yumary Ruiz and Zoe Taylor (MPI). Period: 2022-2023. Total: $369,482.00
NIMHD Administrative Supplement to Recognize Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Mentorship Yumary Ruiz and Zoe Taylor (MPI). Period: 2023-2024. Total: $392,399.00
Co-Principal Investigator, Mental and Physical Health in Children of Latino Migrant Farm Workers: A Multi-Level Longitudinal Examination of Risk and Resilience Factors. National Institute on Minority Health Disparities (R01 MD014187). Yumary Ruiz and Zoe Taylor (MPI). Period: 2020-2025. Total: $3,138,472.00
Principal Investigator, Mental Health and Well-Being in Midwestern Latino Youth: A Resilience Approach. United States Department of Agriculture Hatch Award. Period: 2017-2022
Co-Principal Investigator, An Examination of Educational Outcomes in Children of Latino Migrant Farmworker Families in Rural Indiana. Spencer Foundation. Yumary Ruiz and Zoe Taylor (MPI). Period: 2016-17. Total: $50,000

Professional Affiliations

Associate Editor, Journal of Research on Adolescence 2025-2027
Finance Committee Member, Society for Research on Adolescence. 2022-2026
Consulting Editor, Journal of Family Psychology. 2017-present
Consulting Editor, Journal of Genetic Psychology: Research and Theory on Human Development. 2019-present
Consulting Editor, Journal of Early Adolescence. 2022-present
National Institutes of Health Study Section standing member, Psychosocial Development, Risk and Prevention (PDRP). 2021-2025