Clarkson Psychology Student Presents Research at 2025 SSHD Biennial Conference
Clarkson University psychology student Makayla Kepner, a sophomore from Watervliet, New York, presented her research at the 2025 Society for the Study of Human Development (SSHD) Biennial Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, in October.
Kepner conducted her research through Clarkson’s Cultural, Family, and Child Development Lab, led by Assistant Professor of Psychology Ying Zhang.
The SSHD Biennial Conference brings together scholars and professionals from psychology and related disciplines to advance research on human development.
Kepner presented a poster titled “Head Start Programs and Self-Regulation in Children: A Scoping Review,” which synthesizes current research on how Head Start services support children’s development of self-regulation.
She also delivered an oral presentation, “Latent Classes of Early Head Start Engagement and Children’s Social-Emotional Development,” a manuscript co-authored with Zhang and Qingyang Liu of Arizona State University. The project uses advanced data analysis to identify patterns of family engagement in Early Head Start and examines how these patterns relate to child development outcomes.
“This was my first time participating in a professional conference. It was an impactful experience, and the conversations I had were eye-opening for my future goals,” Kepner said. “Attending this conference deepened my understanding of psychology and strengthened my commitment to pursuing important work in the field.”
Kepner’s participation in SSHD 2025 was funded by a Head Start research grant from the Administration for Children and Families.
