Faculty

Education

• Ph.D. North Carolina State University, 2021

Research Interests

Dr. McKenzie Green is a Community Psychologist with interdisciplinary training in
Developmental Psychology, Social Work, and African American Studies. Her research examines
how racial and family processes can be leveraged to promote racial equity and support the
holistic well-being of Black and Bi/Multiracial-Black adolescents and emerging adults in the
United States. Drawing on intersectional frameworks and diverse research methods, Dr. Green
investigates how the intersection of multiple social identities, including race, ethnicity, and
gender, shapes young people’s experiences of racial identity, social stress, and well-being, as
well as their needs for support and services. Through this work, she aims to develop and
implement evidence-based interventions that reduce racial disparities in mental health outcomes
among Black youth. Dr. Green’s research has been supported by the National Science
Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Society for Research on Child
Development.

Dr. Green’s lab is currently focused on two research projects:

Project DREAMS (Daily Racial Experiences among Multiracial-Black Students) is a
multiphase daily diary study that uses an innovative mobile app (LifeData) to examine
relationships among race-related stress, promotive and protective processes, and mental health
among Multiracial-Black young people across 14 days. Data collection is complete, and her team
is currently analyzing the data. The project was supported by internal awards from the VCU
Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development and the VCU School of Social Work.

Project CARE (Conversations about Race and Emotions) is an observational dyadic study
examining how parents and adolescents in Multiracial-Black families discuss race and the role of
emotions in these live conversations. The project is supported by a Loan Repayment Award from
the National Institute of Mental Health, and recruitment is ongoing.

Select Publications

• Green, M.N. (in press). The Biracial Adolescents’ Racial Socialization Questionnaire: A
  Sequential Exploratory Approach to Development and Validation. Marriage and Family Review.
• Green, M.N., Clinkscales, A., & *Caballero, A. (2026). “I internalized a lot”: Identity-Based
  Correlates of Depression Among Biracial Girls and Young Women. Journal of Racial and Ethnic
  Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-02875-6
• Green, M. N. (2025). Examining racial identity invalidation and well‐being among Biracial
  adolescents using the identity capital model. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 35(4), e70084. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.70084
• Green, M.N., *Winchester, B.L., & Jones, S. (2023). Biracial, Black, and proud: Can racial pride protect biracial–Black young people from identity invalidation and depressive symptoms? American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 94(2), 222–234. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000720

Courses

Awards

• 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient, Department of African American Studies,
  Virginia Commonwealth University
• 2025 Presidential Awards for Community Multicultural Enrichment Nominee, Virginia
  Commonwealth University
• 2023 Mentor of the Year, Cohort Sistas