Traditionally, schools, colleges, and community organizations underutilize some of the most powerful resources in historically disadvantaged students’ lives – their social connections. Connections with family, friends, and community members have an invaluable impact on marginalized young people’s identity development, academic outcomes, and civic engagement. I study the social environments through which adolescents build their social networks – the system of interpersonal relationships in which individuals are embedded – and how social networks can trigger a cascade of positive psychological outcomes such as strengthened identity, increased civic behavior, and improved academic performance.  Further information on all of my programs of research can be found below.