Virginia Gil-Rivas, PhD

Virginia Gil-Rivas, PhD
Professor and Program Director
Colvard 4009
704-687-1330
Psychological Science
Research Interests: 
As a developmental health psychologist my work has focused on research and intervention efforts aimed at addressing the needs of marginalized and underserved populations. In particular, her program of research has centered around the following areas: 1) the development, implementation, and evaluation of brief lifestyle interventions that are culturally and contextually appropriate with a particular focus on binge eating and problematic eating behaviors; 2) the examination of factors at multiple levels (i.e., individual, family, and community) that contribute to successful adjustment among youths and adults exposed to major negative life events (e.g., serious illness, disasters, mass trauma, violence exposure, and chronic adversity).  Dr. Gil-Rivas currently serves as a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology and the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry and is a member of the Ethnic Minority and Multicultural Health interest group of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. She also serves as director at large of the Global Alliance for Behavioral and Social Justice. http://www.bhjustice.org/.