Melissa A. Barnett, PhD

Melissa A. Barnett, PhD, is a professor in human development and family science and is the Norton Endowed Chair in Fathers, Parenting and Families at the University of Arizona. She is the director of the Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth and Families, which applies research to support child and family resilience. Her research examines how contextual risks and assets influence caregiver-child relationships, multigenerational well-being, and early childhood development, with a focus on poverty and other forms of adversity. The ultimate goal of this work is to inform practices and policies to promote health and well-being among young children and their caregivers.