Zoe Taylor

Associate Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Science

Co-Director, HHS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Science Consortium

Areas of Expertise

adolescent development
mental health and wellbeing
resilience processes
Latinx 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 research program broadly examines risk and resilience processes in vulnerable youth and their families. Grounded in a bio-ecological and family systems framework, the central goal of this research program is to identify resilience factors that promote the healthy development of youth and children despite the adversity they experience. My primary line of research is focused on how Latinx children and adolescents cope with stress, and the effects of stress on physical and mental health and well-being. In particular, I am interested in addressing the effects of culturally relevant stressors on Latinx youth’s mental health, specifically depression and anxiety, as well as factors that buffer them from stress. My work also addresses the challenges facing Latinx children of migrant farmworker families, a sub-population of Latinx children that are at significantly high risk of maladjustment and poor health. 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) 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).

Considering graduate student applications for the December 1, 2023 deadline.

Education

Ph.D. 2011, University of California, Davis

Websites

Social Media Accounts

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Co-Director, HHS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Science Consortium
Purdue Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Mentor
Horizons Faculty Mentor
Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) Mentor
Colombia Purdue Partnership Mentor

Current Courses

HDFS 210 - Introduction to Human Development
HDFS 332 - Stress and Coping in Contemporary Families
HDFS 280 - Diversity in Individual and Family Life
HDFS 590 - Global Perspectives on Human Development
HDFS 619 - Adolescent and Youth Development in Context

Selected Honors/Awards

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
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

Finance Committee Member, Society for Research on Adolescence. 2022-2026
National Institutes of Health Study Section standing member, Psychosocial Development, Risk and Prevention (PDRP). 2021-present
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