Misha Inniss-Thompson
Misha Inniss-Thompson
Assistant Professor
Psychology
Office

T225 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall

Biography

Misha N. Inniss-Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Cornell University. Dr. Inniss-Thompson received her doctorate in Community Research and Action at Vanderbilt University. She is an alumnus of Cornell's Department of Human Development. During her undergraduate career, she was a Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Scholar.

Dr. Inniss-Thompson’s research examines the impact of families, communities, and schools in shaping Black girls’ mental health and wellness using a cultural-assets perspective.

I am passionate about centering youth voices in the research process through methodological approaches such as photovoice and youth participatory action research.

My program of research investigates three primary questions:

  • What protective processes buffer the impact of racial discrimination on Black girls’ mental health and wellness?
  • How do social contexts shape Black adolescent girls’ mental health and wellness during the transition from middle childhood through adolescence? 
  • What can be gained by creating epistemological and physical spaces and places that support Black girls’ development?

HD/PSYCH 2400: Introduction to Community Psychology

 

Inniss-Thompson, M.N., Butler-Barnes, S.T., Taaffe, C., & Elliott, T. (2022). What serves you”: Charting Black girl spaces for wellness through spirituality, resistance, and homeplace. Journal of African American Women and Girls in Education  2(2), 37–64https://doi.org/10.21423/jaawge-v2i2a113

Butler-Barnes, S.T., Leath, S., Inniss-Thompson, M. N., Boyd, D. T., & Allen, P. (2022). Racial and gender discrimination by teachers: Risks for Black girls’ depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000538

Cooper, S. M., Burnett, M., Golden, A. R., Butler-Barnes, S., & Inniss-Thompson, M.N. (2022). School discrimination, discipline inequities, and the adjustment of Black adolescent girls and boys. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 32 (1), 170-190, https://doi.org/ /10.1111/jora.12716  

Anderson, R. E., Ahn, L. H., Brooks, J.R., Charity-Parker, B., Inniss-Thompson, M.N., Gumudavelly, D., Mitchell, S. & Anyiwo, N. (2022).  “The talk” tells the story: How parents’ racial socialization strategies aim to protect Black adolescents from racism. Journal of Adolescent Research, 38(3), 562 –588, https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584221076067

Butler-Barnes, S.T. & Inniss-Thompson, M.N. (2020) “My teacher doesn’t like me”: Perceptions of teacher discrimination and school discipline among African-American and Caribbean Black adolescent girls. Education Sciences, 10, 44. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10020044

 

B.S., Human Development, Cornell University

M.S., Community Research and Action, Vanderbilt University

Ph.D., Community Research and Action, Vanderbilt University

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