Tiyobista Maereg

Biography:

Tiyobista Maereg is a sixth-year developmental area graduate student working with Dr. Witherspoon in the Context and Development Lab. She received her B.A. degree in Psychology & Political Science as a McNair Scholar from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a graduate student at Penn State, she explored her interest in the experiences of Black youth by joining the Context and Development Lab directed by Dr. Witherspoon. As a member of the lab, Tiyobista worked on projects focusing on how context, particularly neighborhood, is associated with Black adolescent’s ethnic-racial identity, family functioning, and academic outcomes. Her work led to a better understanding of how neighborhood influences the development of Black youth and resulted in her desire to investigate the relationship of neighborhood, ethnic-racial identity, and educational outcomes. As the CSC Graduate Research Assistant, Tiyobista prepares for and takes notes during CSC faculty meetings, assists with the Speaker Series, maintains CSC-related databases, and writes articles for the CSC website.