Kamryn Morris

Kamryn S. Morris is an educator and scholar committed to cultivating conditions that enable Black youth and their communities to thrive. She seeks to center youth voice, elevate the strengths of the communities she partners with, and honor her experiences as a Black woman. Dr. Morris’ research examines school belonging, racism, and school and neighborhood contexts as mechanisms shaping Black youths’ mental and behavioral well-being. Leveraging the power of prevention science, her work identifies and addresses systemic barriers, while promoting equitable, culturally relevant solutions to enact meaningful change in schools and communities.

Informed by culturally and contextually grounded theoretical models, her research utilizes qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodologies. Her interdisciplinarity is reflected in her collaborations with scholars across disciplines including public health, education, and sociology. Dr. Morris’ scholarly work is deeply enriched by the critical, practice-based perspectives gained through her teaching and mentoring of students.

Dr. Morris received her Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Development from San Diego State University, and her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University. At Arizona State University, she was a National Institute on Drug Abuse T32 Pre-Doctoral Fellow in prevention research on substance use and dissemination & implementation science. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Berkeley, where she worked on CalHOPE Student Support, a partnered project between the California Department of Health Care Services, California County Offices of Education, purveyor organizations supporting implementation practice, and the University of California Berkeley.