Overview
Misha N. Ailsworth (formerly Inniss-Thompson) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Cornell University. Dr. Ailsworth received her doctorate in Community Research and Action at Vanderbilt University. She is an alumnus of Cornell's Department of Human Development. During her undergraduate career, she was a Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Scholar.
Dr. Ailsworth鈥檚 research examines the impact of families, communities, and schools in shaping Black girls鈥 mental health and wellness using a cultural-assets perspective.
Research Focus
I am passionate about centering youth voices in the research process through methodological approaches such as photovoice and youth participatory action research.
My program of research investigates three primary questions:
- What protective processes buffer the impact of racial discrimination on Black girls鈥 mental health and wellness?
- How do social contexts shape Black adolescent girls鈥 mental health and wellness during the transition from middle childhood through adolescence?
- What can be gained by creating epistemological and physical spaces and places that support Black girls鈥 development?
Publications
- Inniss-Thompson, M. N., Leath, S., & Harris, J. N. (2024). Seeing Black girls in their glory: Cultivating spaces that facilitate Black girls鈥 psychological safety. Journal of Black Psychology, 50(3), 259-292.
- Anderson, R. E., Ahn, L. H., Brooks, J. R., Charity-Parker, B., Inniss-Thompson, M., Gumudavelly, D., Mitchell, S., & Anyiwo, N. (2023). 鈥淭he talk鈥 tells the story: A qualitative investigation of parents鈥 racial socialization competency with Black adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 38(3), 562-588.
- Inniss-Thompson, M.N., Butler-Barnes, S.T., Taaffe, C., & Elliott, T. (2022). 鈥淲hat serves you鈥: Charting Black girl spaces for wellness through spirituality, resistance, and homeplace. Journal of African American Women and Girls in Education 2(2), 37鈥64.
- Butler-Barnes, S.T., Leath, S., Inniss-Thompson, M. N., Boyd, D. T., & Allen, P. (2022). Racial and gender discrimination by teachers: Risks for Black girls鈥 depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 28(4), 469鈥482.
- Cooper, S. M., Burnett, M., Golden, A. R., Butler-Barnes, S., & Inniss-Thompson, M.N. (2022). School discrimination, discipline inequities, and the adjustment of Black adolescent girls and boys. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 32 (1), 170-190,
- Butler-Barnes, S.T. & Inniss-Thompson, M.N. (2020) 鈥淢y teacher doesn鈥檛 like me鈥: Perceptions of teacher discrimination and school discipline among African-American and Caribbean Black adolescent girls. Education 麻豆视频, 10, 44.
