David Wakefield, PhD (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Professor, Child & Adolescent Development
I received my Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from UC Santa Barbara, where I studied typical and atypical child and adolescent development. In addition to serving as a faculty member in the Department of Child and Adolescent Development, I also enjoy working with the Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP)-a blended degree program leading to a B.A. in Liberal Studies and a preliminary multiple-subjects teaching credential. Being involved in these and other university programs allows me to work closely with pre-service teachers and our public school system.
Prior to entering graduate school, I enjoyed working with various schools and educational programs in the San Francisco Bay Area and as a community health volunteer in the Peace Corps. Since entering academia, I have focused on working actively with school districts and community organizations in developing programs which foster positive interethnic and interracial relationships between students. I am also currently working with school and community programs that support and foster the academic success of ethnic minority youth during K-12 schooling.
One of my passions is teaching and mentoring students. I especially enjoy working with college students who are interested in matriculating to Master's and doctoral degree programs. As an African American faculty member of mixed heritage, as well as being first in my family to receive a doctorate, I am committed to creating viable pathways to advanced degree programs for students typically underrepresented in higher education. I also enjoy working with students through campus service organizations. I am currently serving as faculty advisor for the Cal State Northridge chapter of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity.
My general research and teaching interests center around the personal and social development of children in culturally diverse contexts. One of my recent research projects funded by the National Science Foundation involves understanding high school students' experiences with discrimination and how these experiences may influence academic engagement. This research is critical in better enhancing positive interpersonal relationships between members of different racial and ethnic groups and bridging the achievement gap. My research has particular relevance to parents and teachers since they structure children's daily experiences.
I am an active member of the American Educational Research Association, the Society for Research in Child Development, the Society for Research on Adolescence, the American Psychological Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Phi Delta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi.
Recent Publications Include
Wakefield, W. D., and Hudley, C. (under review). Ethnic and racial identity and adolescent well-being. Theory into Practice.
Wakefield, W. D. (2006). Understanding privilege in American society. In E. Chen and G. Omatsu (Eds.), Teaching about Asian Pacific Americans. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press.
Wakefield, W. D., and Hudley, C. (2005). African American male adolescents' preferences in responding to racial discrimination: Effects of ethnic identity and situational influences. Adolescence, 40, 237-256.
Hudley, C., Wakefield, W. D., Britsch, B., Cho, S., Smith, T., & DeMorat, M. (2001). Multiple perceptions of children's aggression: Differences across neighborhood, age, gender, and perceiver. Psychology in the Schools, 38, 43-56.
Hudley, C., Wakefield, W. D., Scott, W., Bui, K., & Cuellar, M. (2000). Race and kinship: Children's Categorization Process. Paper presented at the 2000 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. ERIC Document ED444075
Hudley, C., Britsch, B., Wakefield, W. D., Smith, T., DeMorat, M., & Cho, S. (1998). An attribution retraining program to reduce aggression in elementary school students. Psychology in the Schools, 35, 271-282.