Project Coordinator, Transdisciplinary Prevention Research Center

Megan received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame in 2000 and has worked at the Center for Child and Family Policy since 2001 on a variety of projects, including the Safe Schools/Healthy Students evaluation and the GREAT Schools violence prevention project. In her role as Project Coordinator of TPRC Program II, she oversees the planning and execution of in-school data collection and serves as a liaison to the school. In 2006, Megan led the development and implementation of the Teens Life Choices Project, a novel peer-leader based substance use prevention program for middle school students. She is broadly interested in peer relations and the development of problem behaviors in adolescence. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree in developmental psychology.

Education:

• B.A. University of Notre Dame - 2000

Recent Publications

1. Miller-Johnson, S., Lansford, J.E., Costanzo, P.R., Malone, P.S., Golonka, M., & Killeya-Jones, L.A. (Submitted, December, 2006). Early Adolescent Romantic Partner Status, Peer Standing, and Risk-Taking Behaviors and the Role of Gender. Journal of Early Adolescence.


2. Foster, K., Puttalaz, M., Schmid, L., Golonka, M., & Grimes, C. (May, 2006). A whole new world of friends: The Influence of Instant Messenger on Peer Relations. Poster presented at the 14th Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, San Antonio, TX.


3. Aki, J.I., Killeya-Jones, L.A., & Golonka, M. (March, 2006). Ethnic Differences in Family and Peer Risk Factors for Alcohol Use Among Early Adolescents. Poster presented at the 11th Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Francisco, CA.


4. Killeya-Jones, L.A., Costanzo, P.R., Malone, P.S., Golonka, M., and Miller-Johnson, S. (Submitted, 2006). Peers and Alcohol Use among African-American and White Early Adolescents:. Journal of Research on Adolescence.