School of Social Work News

Assistant Professor Fernanda Cross spoke with WEMU about the Latinx Teen Empowerment Group at Ypsilanti Community High School. Cross’ research focusing on Latinx immigrants in southeast Michigan lead to the program, which provides small group therapy in Spanish to support mental health and create community. The digital news magazine Concentrate has a companion story to the radio conversation.

“I'm a Latinx immigrant like them. And I know how much support our community needs, and I know all of our strengths. I know what we're capable of,” said Cross. “If we are able to support the kids, they would be able to accomplish so much more and really be able to demonstrate their strength and just have a better experience — better outcome — for their lives.”

Assistant Professor Fernanda Cross is featured on Deutsche Welle (DW) website. The article explores her journey to the U.S. and her research at U-M School of Social Work. “It is as an immigrant that Cross finds the necessary empathy for her work. As a researcher, she analyzes precisely the insertion of Latin American immigrants in the United States.”

Assistant Professor Fernanda Cross will receive an Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award from the 2021 Society for Research on Child Development. Cross’ dissertation examines how the roles of sociocultural stressors, such as discrimination and documentation​ status, influence parental ethnic-racial socialization practices in Latinx​ immigrant families. Selection for the awards is based on criteria that included the quality of the dissertation, publications emerging from the project, and the nominee’s current position and engagement in the field of child development research.