Caitlin WitherowGraduate Studentshe/her/hers

I am interested in studying how children internalize adverse experiences and how contextual and individual factors interact to either confer risk or promote resilience. I am particularly passionate about understanding strategies that strengthen the overall health and social-emotional competencies of children experiencing adversity.

I earned my BS in psychology from Furman University. As an undergraduate student, I worked as a research assistant in the Furman Development Lab studying how children reason about social inequalities, and how parents’ socialization strategies facilitate cognitive development related to these issues. I also researched educational policies in South Carolina through Furman’s Riley Institute, with a focus on benefits of afterschool learning programs. In addition to my research, I interned at an afterschool and summer educational intervention program for children in kindergarten through second grade. This experience highlighted the multifaceted benefits of early interventions and inspired my current interest in better understanding how systematic disadvantages shape development.