Congratulations to the 2022 CYDI Senior Affiliates!
The Center for Youth Development and Intervention (CYDI) at UA is pleased to announce the inaugural class of CYDI Senior Affiliates. These scholars were selected based on their commitment to promoting the mental health and well-being of youth and families in the state of Alabama and beyond. They have gone above and beyond to support the mission of the CYDI – to advance cutting edge translational clinical science in order to improve the mental and physical well-being of all youth. Please join us in celebrating the work of these individuals!
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​Dr. Mengya Xia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Alabama in the Developmental Science area. Substantively, her research focuses on adolescent positive development in complex family dynamics and other ecological contexts. Methodologically, she is interested in advanced statistics from person-centered approaches (e.g., mixture modeling) and dynamic processes (e.g., time-varying effect modeling). She works closely with CYDI on grant submission and project collaboration. She also engages with CYDI work that facilitates community engagement (e.g., providing workshop to parents) and is committed to research in the area of youth mental health and development.
Mengya Xia, PhD
​Dr. Gregory J. Benner is the Helen and Pat O’Sullivan Professor in the College of Education at the University of Alabama. He has a knack for grassroots collective impact—getting whole communities including families, child welfare, mental health, and schools on the same page to meet needs of the whole child. In February 2018, he received the Presidents’ Award from the Northwest Positive Behavioral Supports Network for his leadership of school improvement. He currently serves as Principal Investigator on a Department of Education, Supporting Effective Educator Development funded project to develop the Social and Emotional Learning Study Groups (SELSG+) professional learning innovation. He is co-founder of the Tacoma Whole Child Initiative, a comprehensive blueprint for sustainable school and community transformation.
Greggory Benner, PhD
​Dr. Chuong Bui is a Research Statistician at the Alabama Life Research Institute (ALRI). In a typical workday, he spends about half his time talk to his computer, with SAS being his primary interpreter. For the last 3 years, Dr. Bui has collaborated with several researchers at CYDI. He assists with proposal development and data analysis, and Dr. Bui (thankfully) has full intention to keep this collaboration lasting for several years to come. Dr. Bui as expertise in mixed-effect models, structural equation modeling, survival analysis, latent class/profile analysis, grouped-based trajectory, and growth mixture modeling.
Chuong Bui, PhD
​Dr. Kristina L. McDonald is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology. Dr. McDonald is an expert on adolescent adjustment, friendships, peer relationships, and revenge-responding. She has expertise in a broad range of methods, including peer nominations, longitudinal designs, survey and questionnaire development, and cross-cultural research. As PI or co-Investigator on several foundation, NIH, and university-funded grants, she has examined how peer and family relationships, social cognitions, social motivations, and self-regulatory processes influence child and adolescent development.
Kristina McDonald, PhD
Mengya Xia, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Psychology, University of Alabama
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I ​really appreciate CYDI's support for grant review before I submit my first R01 grant proposal. CYDI also helped advertising my FEELING project on their social media and participant registry, which tremendously helped with participant recruitment for this longitudinal research project.
Heather E. Gunn, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Psychology, University of Alabama
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I am not overstating when I say that collaborating with CYDI has been key for my success in obtaining funding. I encountered multiple challenges in creating community partnerships. Within 1-2 days of a discussion with Dr. Susan White, I was able to move forward. She has formed many, respectful relationships throughout Tuscaloosa and Alabama. Her connections made it clear to reviewers that my study was feasible. I am also certain that CYDI feedback (Dr. Susan White and Dr. Hudac) contributed to an outstanding score on my NIH-funded proposal. Their collective grantsmanship and creativity helped me generate a better proposal. And it was an enjoyable process. Win-win.
Laci Watkins, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Special Education & Multiple Abilities, University of Alabama edit.

The CYDI is been a wonderful resource. I’ve connected and collaborated with researchers across disciplines who are affiliated with the Center, and I have also been able to use their extensive registry to recruit research participants. The CYDI has excellent relationships with community stakeholders, and my work has very much benefitted from those existing partnerships.
Joining the registry will make sure that you're always up to date on potential opportunities for your family at the Center for Youth Development and Intervention!
Becoming a community partner will keep you informed of future workshops, events, resources, and research.