Visiting Postdoctoral Research Associate in Family Diversity, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2024
Ph.D., Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, 2022
M.S. Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, 2018
B.A., Psychology, Michigan State University, 2016

• Black Americans’ couple and intimate relationships
• Black Americans’ mental-emotional health
• Racism, discrimination, and oppressive systems
• Gender and differences
• Coping and resilience
• Development of health processes over time
• Relationship prevention and intervention

Principle Investigator, Neighborhoods and Health (NAH) study The NAH study is an analysis of objective (Census-derived) and subjective data of various neighborhood characteristics from the MIDUS study (National Institute on Aging Grants P01-AG020166, U19-AG051426, and R01 AG019239). The primary aim of this study is to uncover the connections, timing, and processes linking neighborhood disadvantage to Black Americans’ health in myriad domains (e.g., mental, physical, social).

Principle Investigator, Daily Associations between Psychological Well-Being and Relationship Functioning among African Americans study This study aims to advance efforts to decrease disparities in African Americans’ mental health and relationship quality by investigating the daily linkages between psychological well-being and relationship functioning, the extent to which these linkages depend on sociocultural stress and gender, and whether these daily linkages predict long-term psychological distress (National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities F31MD015215).

2022-2024 Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2022 John L. and Harriette P. McAdoo Dissertation Award, Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families Section of the National Council on Family Relations
2022 Dissertation Award, International Association of Relationship Research

Jenkins, A. I. C, Surachman, A., & Armendariz, M. (2024). Where I’m livin’ and how I’m feelin’: Associations among multiple measures of community stress, gender, and mental-emotional health among Black Americans. Social Science & Medicine, 348 (116763), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116763

Jenkins, A. I. C, Fredman, S. J., Gamaldo, A. A., King, V., & Almeida, D. M. (2023). Love, health, and the ‘hood: An examination of romantic relationship adjustment and perceived neighborhood quality as predictors of partnered Black Americans’ long-term psychological health. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, 132(5), 531–541. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000821

Rice, T. M., Jenkins, A. I. C., McNeil Smith, S., Alexander, C., & McGregor, C. M. (2023). Racial discrimination and romantic relationship dynamics among Black Americans: A systematic review. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 15(4), 793–821. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12535. Advanced online publication.

Jenkins, A. I. C, Le, Y., Surachman, A., Almeida, D. M., & Fredman, S. J. (2023). Associations among financial well-being, daily relationship tension, and daily affect in two adult cohorts separated by the Great Recession. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40(4), 1103-1125. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075221105611

Jenkins, A. I. C, Fredman, S. J., Le, Y., Mogle, J. A., & McHale, S. M. (2022). Religious coping and gender moderate trajectories of marital love in Black couples. Family Process, 61(1), 312-325. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12645