Faculty Advisors:  Vonnie McLoyd & Luke Hyde

Deaweh Benson is currently a doctoral student in the Developmental Psychology program at the University of Michigan. She investigates racism, health, and healing with a focus on Black adolescents and young adults who experience intersecting marginalized identities (e.g., race, class, gender). Her work is grounded in cultural-ecological frameworks, Black feminist theory, critical consciousness, and positive youth development. Deaweh’s work broadly pursues three lines of research: (1) Examining the potential psychological and neurobiological embedding of racism, (2) Investigating factors that may protect youth from racism exposure, and (3) Identifying opportunities for healing despite racism exposure.

Deaweh earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College and her Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has worked in non-profits, research organizations, and academic institutions where she has examined socioemotional development, college student academic success, and the economic security of young adults.