Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Science at the University of North Texas
About
Yolanda T. Mitchell, PhD is program steward of the family policy and program administration MS and is an assistant professor of human development and family science at the University of North Texas. She received her MS in marriage & family therapy and PhD in family studies from Kansas State University. Dr. Mitchell’s research is centered on culture and families. Her work focuses on the influence of race/racism on Black families with a particular interest in mixed-race identity development. Additional research focuses on the development of intercultural competence among Family Science practitioners through a critical multicultural lens. Dr. Mitchell is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory® and is currently the assistant editor of Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science. She serves on the leadership team of the Black Faculty Network at UNT and is Chair of the Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families Section of NCFR.
Current Work:
Currently, I study and interview Black people and their families about their experiences related to race and racism such as push out in K-12 education, racial identity development, and the impact of Covid-19 on their lives. I also teach classes and conduct trainings on diversity, equity and inclusion. This leads to work I do with students who want to work professionally with families. I help them work towards developing intercultural competence in order to shift their perspectives and behavior to work more effectively with different types of people.
Research Area Keyword(s):
race & racism; culture; diversity; Black families; racial identity
