Lauren Mims
Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology
Department:
Department of Educational Psychology
About Lauren Mims
Lauren Christine Mims, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at Ball State University. She holds a doctoral degree in educational psychology from the University of Virginia, a master's degree in child development from Tufts University, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia. She was also appointed assistant director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans during the Obama administration. During her time, she was a member of the White House Council on Women and Girls, the U.S. Department of Education Policy Committee, the United States Department of Education Socioeconomic Diversity Working Group, as well as a member of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Working Group.
Dr. Mims' current work focuses on promoting the wellbeing and development of Black students, with a particular focus on Black girls. The late American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou once said, "You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot — it's all there. Everything influences each of us." Therefore, Lauren uses a mixed methods approach to explore how the sum total of schooling (e.g. policies, practices, relationships, cultural representations and other norms) influences students’ identities. This research also explores student-teacher relationships, dream-keeping, and the consequences of bias and discrimination.
Professional Experience
- Assistant Professor (2019 - present), Department of Educational Psychology, Teachers' College, Ball State University, Muncie, IN. 2019 - Present
Education
Ph.D. in Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science, 2019
University of Virginia Curry School of Education
M.A. in Child Development, 2014
Tufts University
B.A. in English, 2012
University of Virginia
B.A. in Psychology, 2012
University of Virginia
Research and Publications
Sample Publications
Mims, L. C., & Williams, J. L. (2020). “They Told Me What I Was Before I Could Tell Them What I Was”: Black Girls’ Ethnic-Racial Identity Development Within Multiple Worlds. Journal of Adolescent Research, 0743558420913483.
Mims, L. C., & Kaler-Jones, C. (2020). Running, running the show: Supporting the leadership development of Black girls in middle school. Middle School Journal, 51(2), 16-24.
Elliott, M. C., Shuey, E. A., Zaika, N., Mims, L. C., & Leventhal, T. (2017). Finding home: A qualitative approach to understanding adolescent mothers’ housing instability. American Journal of Community Psychology, 60(1-2), 55-65.