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Jennifer Medina Vaughn

Assistant Professor
Psychology Division, Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Biography

Dr. Jennifer Vaughn is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University and a licensed marriage and family therapist. Her research is focused on children of immigrants’ mental health and development. Fueled by her personal experiences with marginalization as a Mexican American woman, daughter of immigrants, and mother of biracial children, she is committed to studying health disparities in children of immigrants, advancing the understanding of effective programmatic supports for development, and informing public policy. She has a broad background in clinical psychology and the social determinants of health, with several years of direct counseling experience with under-served Latinx families, advanced statistics training in structural equation modeling, and expertise in the use of national datasets to isolate sociopolitical contributors to mental health disparities in preschool-aged children of immigrants. 

Approaching the study of young children of immigrants from a social determinants of health framework, Dr. Vaughn’s research reflects commitment to studying issues of race, sociopolitical context, and immigration as they relate to preschool-aged children of immigrants’ health. She emphasizes unpacking these multidimensional issues and translating findings into tangible and accessible recommendations to support children of immigrants’ development through prevention, early detection, and intervention efforts at the communal level. Her current and ongoing projects include analysis of the conditions contributing to health disparities among preschool-aged children of immigrants and an implementation study of a faith-based, trauma-informed intervention to increase faith leaders’ capacity to support congregants impacted by immigration enforcement and COVID-19. 

Academically, Dr. Vaughn emphasizes the integration of research-based knowledge, theory, and clinical practice in her teaching. She presently teaches Research and Evaluation Methods, Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling, and Psychometrics.

 

Education

  • PhD, Fuller Graduate School of Psychology
  • MA, Fuller Graduate School of Psychology
  • MS, Mount St. Mary’s University
  • BA, Occidental College
  • Vaughn, J. M., Rojas-Flores, L., & Wang, K. T. (2023). Preschoolers’ psychosocial development, parents, and neighborhoods: Towards an integrative approach for immigrant families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, Advance Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02654-5
  • Vaughn, J. M., & King, P.E. (in press). Religious involvement. Encyclopedia of Adolescence (2nd Ed.). 
  • Rojas-Flores, L., & Vaughn, J. M. (2023). Biopsychosocial impacts of parental detention and deportation on children of immigrants. Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Health, 2, 765-779. 
  • Vaughn, J. M., & Rojas-Flores, L. (June 2023). A faith- and community-based approach to promoting child and family wellbeing and trauma-informed care in the US and other countries. To be presented at the Society for Community Research in Action Biennial Conference. 
  • Vaughn, J. M., & Rojas-Flores, L. (June 2023). Faith leaders as agents of healing after trauma: Preliminary findings from a faith-based, trauma-informed prevention program for leaders of Latinx congregations. To be presented at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology Annual Research Symposium.
  • Vaughn, J. M., King, P. E., Mangan, S., Noe, S., Hay, S., O’Neil, B., Tirrell, J. M., Dowling, E. M., Iraheta Majano, G. A., & Sim, A. T. R. (2022). Agentic and receptive hope: Understanding hope in the context of religiousness and spirituality through the narratives of Salvadoran youth. Religions, 13, 376. 
  • Vaughn, J. M., & Rojas-Flores, L. (2022, June). Safety Net Program Usage and Young Children of Immigrants’ Physical Health. [Paper presentation]. 6th Annual Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology Research Symposium, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
  • Vaughn, J. M., & Rojas-Flores, L. (2022, May). Young Children of Immigrants’ Behavioral Problems: The Mediating Role of Social Cohesion in Under-Resourced Neighborhoods. [Paper presentation]. 2022 Society for Research in Child Development Special Topic Meeting: Construction of the “Other”: Development, Consequences, and Applied Implications of Prejudice and Discrimination, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, United States. 
  • Rojas-Flores, L., Hwang Koo., J., Vaughn, J. M., Nunes, M., & Zambrana, C. (2022, May. Latino children’s perceptions of citizenship, immigration enforcement, and the threat of parental deportation. [Paper presentation]. 2022 Society for Research in Child Development Special Topic Meeting: Construction of the “Other”: Development, Consequences, and Applied Implications of Prejudice and Discrimination, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, United States. 
  • King, P.E., Yoo, Y., & Vaughn, J. M. (2021). The Measure of Diverse Adolescent Spirituality (MDAS) and refined findings from Mexican and Salvadoran youth. In A. Ai, P. Wink, R. F. Paloutzian, & K. A. Harris (Eds.), Assessing spirituality in a diverse world. New York: Springer Press. 
  • Tirrell, J. T., Hay, S., Gansert, P., Le, T., O’Neil, B., Vaughn, J. M., Bishara, L., Tan, E., … Lerner, R. (2021). Exploring the role of the “big three” features of effective youth development programs in El Salvador: The sample case of programs of Compassion International. International Journal of Behavioral Development. 
  • Vaughn, J. M., & Rojas-Flores, L. (2021, November). Faith-based leaders’ responses to parent-child separation in Latinx immigrant communities. [Paper presentation]. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies 37th Annual Meeting, Virtual.
  • Vaughn, J. M., & Rojas-Flores, L. (2021, April). Young children of immigrants, behavioral problems, and social cohesion in under-resourced neighborhoods [Individual Flash Talk Paper]. 2021 Virtual Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. 
  • King, P. E., Vaughn, J. M., & Merola, C. (2020). Spirituality and adolescent development. In S. Hupp & J. Jewell (Series Eds.) and D. T. L. Shek & J. Leug (Volume Eds.), Wiley encyclopedia of child and adolescent development: History, Theory, and Culture, New York: Wiley Blackwell. 
  • King, P. E., Vaughn, J. M., Yoo, Y., Tirrell, J. M., Dowling, E. M., Lerner, R. M, . … Sim, A. T. R. (2020). Exploring religiousness and hope: Examining the roles of spirituality and social connections among Salvadoran youth. Religions: Special Issue of Ecological Perspectives on Religion and Positive Youth Development, 11(2). 
  • Vaughn, J. M. (2020). Neighborhood structure, parenting, flourishing, and behavioral problems in young children of immigrants (Doctoral dissertation, Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Psychology).
  • Rojas-Flores, L., & Vaughn, J. M. (2020, March). U.S. Latino citizen-children of detained and deported fathers: Growing up in turbulent times. [Paper presentation]. 2020 Biennial Meeting of Society for Research in Adolescence, San Diego, CA, United States. (Conference canceled due to COVID-19)
  • Vaughn, J. M., King, P. E., Hay, S., Lerner, J., Dowling, E., Iraheta, G., & Sim, A. (2020, March). Hope in Context: Understanding Hope Through the Spiritual Narratives of Salvadoran Youth. [Paper presentation]. 2020 Biennial Meeting of Society for Research in Adolescence, San Diego, CA, United States. (Conference canceled due to COVID-19)
  • Vaughn, J. M., & Rojas-Flores, L. (2020, May). Young Children of Immigrants’ Behavioral Problems: The Mediating Role of Social Cohesion in Under-Resourced Neighborhoods. [Paper presentation]. 2020 Society for Research in Child Development Special Topic Meeting: Construction of the “Other”: Development, Consequences, and Applied Implications of Prejudice and Discrimination, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, United States. (Conference postponed due to COVID-19)
  • Vaughn, J. M., Rojas-Flores, L. (2020, April). Faith-based community efforts to protect young children of undocumented and DACAmented parents. [Paper presentation]. 2020 UndocU Conference, Long Beach, CA, United States. (Conference canceled due to COVID-19) 
  • Hay, S., Le, T., O’Neil, B., Tirrell, J., Gansert, T., Vaughn, J. M., Tan, E., King, P., Sim, A., & Iraheta, G. (2020, March). Qualities of programs that promote thriving: Voices of Salvadoran youth. Poster to be presented at the 2020 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Diego, CA.  
  • King, P. E., Yoo, Y., Vaughn, J. M., Tirrell, J. M., Geldhof, G. J., Iraheta, G., … Lerner, J. V. (2019). Evaluating the measure of diverse adolescent spirituality in samples of Mexican and Salvadoran youth. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. Advance online publication. 
  • Rojas-Flores, L., Hwang Koo, J., & Vaughn, J. M. (2019). Protecting US-Citizen children whose Central American parents have Temporary Protected Status: Policy brief. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, Advance online publication. 
  • Rojas-Flores, L., & Vaughn, J. M. (2019). Children of immigrants’ determinants of health: From Evidence to Action. Commissioned paper for the Foundation of Child Development. 
  • Vaughn, J. M., & Rojas-Flores, L. (2019, June), Community violence and psychological distress among Salvadoran youth: Purpose in life as a protective asset. [Poster presentation]. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology Future Directions Forum, Washington D.C., United States. https://osf.io/y8bdw/
  • Vaughn, J. M., Yoo, Y., King, P. E., Tirrell, J. M., Iraheta, G., William, K., Sim, A., Dowling E., Lerner, R. M., & Lerner, J. V. (2019, March). Exploring Ecological Assets and Personal Strengths Among Salvadoran Youth: The Complex Relation Between Religion and Hope. [Paper presentation]. 2019 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, MD, United States.
  • Yoo, Y., King, P. E., Vaughn, J. M., Tirrell, J. M., Iraheta, G., William, K., Sim, A., Dowling E., Lerner, R. M., & Lerner, J. V. (2019, March). Profiles of Youth Strengths and PYD Outcomes for Salvadoran Youth. [Paper presentation]. 2019 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, MD, United States.
  • Vaughn, J. M., King, P. E., Yoo, Y., Tirrell, J., Geldolf, J., Dowling, E., … Lerner, R. (2018, August). Religious attendance, relational spirituality, hope and positive development in El Salvadorian youth. [Paper presentation]. American Psychological Association Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA, United States.
  • King, P. E., Vaughn, J. M., Yoo, Y., Tirrell, J., Lerner, R., Dowling, E., … Sim, A. (2018, May). The role of personal, social, and transcendent resources in religion for Salvadoran youth. [Paper presentation]. Travis Research Institute Research Colloquium, Pasadena, CA, United States. 
  • King, P. E., Vaughn, J. M., & Houltberg, B. (2018, March). Living on purpose: Adult support of spiritual purposes. [Paper presentation]. 2018 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
  • King, P. E., Tirrell, J. M., Aymong, C. C., Weiner, M. B., Lloyd, C. R., Vaughn, J. M., & Lerner, J. V. (2017, October), Spirituality and hopeful future expectations: Measuring spiritual development in El Salvadorian Youth. [Poster presentation]. 10th Biennial Meeting of the Society for the Study of Human Development, Providence: RI, United States. 
  • Henry Luce Foundation and Association of Theological Schools Council on Theological Research Grant (2022)
  • Provost Research Grant (2022), Pepperdine University
  • Thrive Center for Human Development Research Fellowship (2020), Fuller Graduate School of Psychology
  • Diversity Travel Award (2020), Society for Research in Child Development
  • Student and Early Career Council Dissertation Research Funding Award (2019), Society for Research in Child Development
  • Graduate Research Fellowship (2019), Fuller Graduate School of Psychology
  • Fellowship (2019), College Women’s Club of Pasadena 
  • Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology Underrepresented Student Workshop Award (2019), University of Maryland
  • Graduate Research Fellowship (2018), Fuller Graduate School of Psychology
  • Travis Research Institute Fellowship (2017), Fuller Graduate School of Psychology
  • Graduate Transitions Scholarship (2012), Mount St. Mary’s University
  • Graduate Merit Scholarship (2012), Mount St. Mary’s University

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