Research

Publications

Fukuda, E., Scott, K.E., Swerbenski, K.L., Huth, N., Barnett, K.C., Sarmiento, N., Henkel, M., & Shutts, K. (2025). A Systematic Review of Modern Measures for Capturing Children’s Ethnic and Racial Attitudes, Stereotypes, and Discrimination. Developmental Review, 76, e101189.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2025.101189

Swerbenski, K. L., Barnett, K. C., Devine, P. G., & Shutts, K. (2024). Making “fast friends” online in middle childhood and early adolescence. Social Development, 33, e12708. https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12708    

Swerbenski, K. L., Fitzpatrick, C. B., & Kunstman, J. W. (2021). Black Americans’ racial socialization experiences and beliefs about White people’s interracial motives. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 27, 441-446. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000386

Community-Engaged Research

School Belonging Assessment

As a Madison Education Partnership intern, I collaborated with the Research, Assessment & Improvement team at Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) to evaluate how school belonging and climate were assessed within the district. With a team of undergraduate research assistants, I conducted qualitative interviews with MMSD students on what it means to belong in school. Using these interviews, as well as my psychometric analysis of multiple iterations of the district-wide climate survey, I provided the district with recommendations on how to revise the way they assess school belonging.

Middle School Orientation Program

In collaboration with school administrators at a local middle school, I designed and implemented a middle school orientation program. During the transition to middle school, many students experience disruptions to their social support networks, as well as decreased feelings of belonging in school. Helping students form a close connection with at least one peer could help ease such difficulties associated with school transitions. Therefore, I worked with the school to integrate activities that involved self-disclosure and collaboration (based on Swerbenski et al., 2024) into a program that informed students about school policies and what to expect when starting middle school.

Left: SPSP 2023, Right: UW-Madison, 2025