Read this story on the College of Social Science website.

The Journal for Research on Adolescence announced that Dr. Emilie Smith’s recent published work was one of the journal’s top cited papers in 2021-22. Smith is a professor in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) and Director of the Youth Equity Project whose research mainly focuses on community-engaged methods for prioritizing youth development, especially among minoritized groups. 

Smith’s paper, titled Positive Youth Development in 2020: Theory, Research, Programs, and the Promotion of Social Justice examined the idea of Positive Youth Development (PYD) with a focus on what is right about today’s youth rather than the traditional deficit-focused view of what is wrong with them. Looking at PYD through this lens helps to identify ways that marginalized youth can leverage their experiences in ways that are transformative and beneficial for their communities. 

The paper is a reflection of the work Smith and her colleagues do within the Youth Equity Project (YEP), an interdisciplinary effort housed within Human Development and Family Studies with faculty contributions from the schools of Criminal Justice and Social Work. Similar to Smith’s latest writing, the mission of the YEP is to reduce disparities of marginalized youth by working with families, communities and policymakers to identify and implement areas of positive development. Marginalized youth can include any young person that has struggled in adolescence due to racial and economic discrimination, social disparities or an involvement with the juvenile justice or child welfare systems. 

For more information on the MSU Youth Equity Project, click here.