Zaje Harrell
Assistant Professor
Email: harrellz@msu.edu
134B Psychology Building
(517) 432-1811 direct(517) 353-5015
Research Interests
My research focuses on health behaviors. I am particularly interested in the context of race and gender in physical and psychological well-being. The majority of my work on gender has been in the field of addictive behaviors. My work is centered on women's use of culturally sanctioned substances, mainly alcohol and nicotine.I have studied how depression, disordered eating, and coping are related to alcohol and nicotine use. My research includes comparisons of men and women and analyses focusing on within group differences among women. I also investigate the ways that cultural and social forces relate to health behaviors. Specifically, my work has examined how the internalization of unrealistic appearance standards is related to smoking in women. The intersection of race and gender identities is another area of focus in my research. Building on feminist and critical race theories of intersectionality, I have collected narratives of African American women's constructions of race and gender. These narratives reveal the sense of private, public and communal selves that emerge as essential to how these women negotiate racism and sexism. These dimensions also emerge as integral to an understanding of cultural factors related to resilience in oppressed groups. My research on social context, mental health, and health behaviors has provided me with the opportunity to do applied work. From 2000- 2002, I taught and eventually directed the Using Math: Girls Investigate Real Life intervention program. The purpose of the program was to provide an intervention for rising seventh grade girls who were at risk of losing interest in math and science. I also consult with community programs and non-profit organizations targeting underserved communities and health issues. My most recent projects include working on a team evaluating Substance Abuse Treatment Programs for the Michigan Department of Corrections, evaluating the intervention process of a community center, and working with a health related agencies to evaluate the implementation of grants and services.
Recent Publications
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. & Harrell, Z. A. (2002). Rumination, depression, and alcohol use: Tests of gender differences. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy 16(4) 391-403.
Harrell, Z. A. T. (2002) Book Review: "Gender: Psychological Perspectives" (L. Brannon) and "Readings in the Psychology Women"(C. Forden, A. E. Hunter, & B. Birns). Women's Studies International Forum, 911(1), 1-2.
Harrell, Z. (January 2002). Activism in the academy: The experience of mentorship. Developments: Newsletter of the Society for Research in Child Development, 45(1),10.
Zucker, A. N., Harrell, Z. A., Miner-Rubino, K., Stewart, A. J., Pomerleau, C. S., & Boyd, C. J. (2001). Smoking in college women: The role of thinness pressures, media exposure, and critical consciousness. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 25(3), 233-241.
Harrell, Z. A. T. (1998). Studies in gender based censorship: An annotated bibliography. Working Paper 49, Institute for Research on Women and Gender, University of Michigan.
Harrell, Z. A. T. (1996). Tolerance to the physiological and behavioral effects of drugs: A review and proposal. Conference Proceedings Annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research.
Manuscripts under Review
Harrell, Z. A. T., Fredrickson, B. L., Pomerleau, C. S., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (under review). The role of trait self- objectification in smoking among college women.
Harrell, Z. A. T. &, Jackson, B. (under review) Thinking fat and feeling blue: eating behavior, ruminative coping, and depressive symptoms in college women.
Harrell, Z. A. T. (under review) Africentriticy. In Y. Jackson (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology. Sage Publications.
Manuscripts in Preparation
Harrell, Z. A. T. (in preparation). Pathways to feminist empowerment: the implications of a girl-focused intervention.
Harrell, Z. A. T., & Karim N. M. (in preparation). Ruminative coping and alcohol use in college men and women.
Professional Presentations
Harrell, Z. A. T. (August 2005). Pathways to feminist empowerment: the implications of a girl-focused intervention. Presentation at the Oxford Round Table. Oxford, England.
Harrell, Z. A. T. & Karim, N. M. (June 2005). Critical consciousness, emotion-focused coping and health behaviors in college women. Poster Presentation at the Society for Comminty Research and Action Annual Meeting, Champaign-Urbana, IL.
Harrell, Z. A. T., White, R., Stokes, A., Hanawalt, O., Daruwalla, Z., Fisher, H., & Levin, A. (March 2004). Health correlates of emotion coping strategies in college women. Poster Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Harrell, Z. A. T. (February, 2004). Self-Objectification in College Women's Health Behaviors. Panelist, Embodying objectification, embodying resistance: Health and wellness consequences of focus on the body. Annual Meeting of the Association for Women in Psychology.
Jackson, B. (Chair), Zucker, A., Landry, L., Richman, L., Megivern, D., Harrell, Z. (Discussant). (July, 2003). Political identities and health. Symposium at the Annual Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology, Boston, MA.
Harrell, Z. A. T. (March, 2003). Trait self-objectification in college women: A gender specific personality dimension in smoking and dieing and eating behaviors. Poster Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT.
Harrell, Z. (Chair), Grenald B., Helaire, L., Sikkenga, K., & Reid, P. T. (Discussant). (August 2002). Ethnicity, social class, and gender: A school intervention. Roundtable Discussion at the American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
Harrell, Z. A. T. (February, 2002). The role of trait self-objectification and appearance awareness in smoking and eating behaviors in young women. Poster Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, Savannah, GA.
Harrell, Z. A. T. (August, 2000). Alcohol use, depression, and coping: Implications among women partnered with alcoholic men. Symposium. American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC.
Awards & Achievements
February 2004 Recipient Paul B. Cornely Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ethnicity, Culture, and Health, Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture, and Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Declined
July 2000-April 2002 NIDA/UMSARC Training Grant Predoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Professional Affiliations
Member, American Psychological Association
Member, Psi Chi
Member, Association for Women in Psychology
Member, Sigma Xi
Member, Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
Member, Society of Behavioral Medicine
Education
B.A., Psychology, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, Cum Laude, May 1997
Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Personality Psychology and Women's Studies, April 2002
Year Came to Eco-Psych Interest Group at MSU
2004
