Preventive Interventions Team: Collaborative Research on Engagement and Wellbeing

  • PIT CREW
  • Research Lab

What We Do

We are a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research lab with a focus on prevention interventions that optimize implementation of evidence-based practices to improve behavior, classroom, and school experiences for youth and school personnel, and/or reduce risk for behavioral and mental health problems. 

Our Current Research

Research News

PIT CREW Team

Katelyn Birchfield

Katelyn Birchfield

  • Program Coordinator and Implementation Support & Coaching Specialist
Jessika Bottiani

Jessika H. Bottiani

  • Research Associate Professor
Catherine Bradshaw

Catherine P. Bradshaw

  • Senior Associate Dean for Research
  • Professor
Katrina Debnam

Katrina Debnam

  • Associate Professor
Heather McDaniel

Heather McDaniel

  • Research Assistant Professor
Amanda Nguyen

Amanda Nguyen

  • Research Associate Professor
Toshna Pandey

Toshna Pandey

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate
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Meredith Powers Franco

  • Research Associate
Lora Henderson Smith

Lora Henderson Smith

  • Assistant Professor

Featured Research

Teacher-Student Incongruence in Perceptions of School Equity: Associations with Student Connectedness in Middle and High Schools

This study sought to explore congruence between teacher and student perceptions of school equity and how congruence or incongruence related to students' sense of connectedness to school.

Buffering Effects of Racial Discrimination on School Engagement: The Role of Culturally Responsive Teachers and Caring School Police

We considered both the protective and promotive effects of culturally responsive teachers and caring school police on school engagement for students exposed to racial discrimination across settings.

Addressing School Safety Through Comprehensive School Climate Approaches

We conclude by identifying future directions for research related to school climate and highlight the role school psychologists can play in improving measurement, promoting the use of data-based decision making which leverages various sources of information on school climate, implementing school-wide programming, and considering the influence of school climate more broadly on implementation science.

Topic

Faculty Associated

Lab or Initiative Associated

Related Centers

  • Research Center

Youth-Nex

Youth-Nex is a trans-disciplinary center with a translational approach to scholarship and innovation that is central to its work. 

Contact Us

Mailing Address

  • PO Box 400281

    405 Emmet Street South

    Charlottesville, VA 22904