![2022 Suniya- S](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/2022_Suniya-_S._Luthar.jpg)
Suniya S. Luthar was Founder and executive director o
AC Groups nonprofit Professor Emerita at
Teachers College-
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, and Co-founder Emerita a
Authentic Connections Co She had previously served on the faculty at
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
's Department of Psychiatry and the
Yale Child Study Center and as Foundation Professor of Psychology at the
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
.
Education and early career
Luthar earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in child development, in 1978 and 1980 respectively, from the
Lady Irwin College of
Delhi University
Delhi University (DU), formally the University of Delhi, is a collegiate university, collegiate Central university (India), central university located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly and ...
, India.
In 1990, she received a PhD in clinical and developmental psychology from
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
. She completed a clinical internship at the
Yale Child Study Center and then was on the faculty at the Yale University School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry and Child Study Center, first as an associate research scientist (1990–92), then as assistant professor (1992–97).
Luthar joined
Teachers College, Columbia University in 1997 as an associate professor.
[Profile](_blank)
tc.columbia.edu She received tenure in 1999 and was promoted to full professor in 2001. In 2010, she was named professor adjunct at the
Yale Child Study Center. The following year, she was appointed senior advisor to the provost at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Between January 2014 and Dec 2019, she was Foundation Professor at Arizona State University's Psychology Department.
Research
Luthar's research involves vulnerability and resilience among various populations including youth in poverty and children in families affected by mental illness. Her studies of adolescents in high achieving schools (HASs), usually in relatively affluent communities, have revealed elevated problems in several areas, particularly substance use and emotional distress.
This pattern of elevated problems has now been documented among students at both public and private schools and in different geographical regions of the United States.
[Luthar, S.S.; Kumar, N.L.; Zillmer, N. (2019). "High Achieving Schools connote significant risks for adolescents: Problems documented, processes implicated, and directions for interventions". ''American Psychologist''. doi:10.1037/amp0000556]
Luthar's programmatic work on HAS youth has now brought national recognition, in major policy reports, that this group is among those at heightened risk for adjustment difficulties. In a 201
Robert Wood Johnson Foundationreport o
environments listed as compromising youth well-being included exposure to poverty, trauma, and discrimination as well as ''excessive pressures to achieve'', usually seen in affluent communities. In
2019 reportby th
National Academies of Science, Education, and Medicine youth in HASs were again listed among those especially vulnerable along with children in deep poverty, those in the foster care system, and those with incarcerated parents.
In considering factors that promote resilience among highly pressured youth, Luthar's research pointed to th
protective effectsof close, supportive relationships with parents (especially mothers who are generally primary caregivers), and appropriate and consistent limit-setting by parents, particularly with regard to misuse of drugs and alcohol. Also critical are perceptions of balanced values among adults in their homes, schools, and communities, such that they are perceived as valuing children's personal decency and integrity at least as much as they value the splendor of their accomplishments. In their most recent works, Luthar and collaborators have presented conceptual models encompassing multiple risk and protective factors affecting HAS youth, including influences related to families and peer groups, aspects of school climate, as well as societal factors such as the middle class squeeze and extreme competitiveness associated with college admissions.
Luthar's recent research has also focused on motherhood, with exploration o
negotiate the challenges of this life-transforming role.
Findings have highlighted the importance of four factors in particular: mothers feeling unconditionally loved themselves (as in the sentiment, "I feel seen and loved for the person I am, at my core"); feeling comforted when they are distressed; feeling authentic in close relationships (being their true selves, without having to pretend or conceal); and satisfaction with their friendships. These research-based insights have been harnessed within supportive group-based interventions
aimed at
fostering the resilience of mothersin their everyday lives. Luthar'
Authentic Connections Groupsintervention has been recognized, in th
National Academies' 2019 report as a promising approach to foster resilience among at-risk children and families.
Luthar's work has been widely cited in th
national and international press including outlets such as th
ttp://www.cnn.com/2016/01/27/health/middle-school-stress-mothers-research/ CNN th
Wall Street Journal th
Washington PostNPR and th
Atlantic Luthar's research has been supported by grants from the
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...
as well as th
William T. Grant Foundation th
Spencer Foundation th
Smith Richardson Foundation and th
Rodel Foundation Luthar regularly presents cutting-edge research findings on high achieving schools and families—and their implications for beneficial interventions—in schools, communities, and conferences
nationally and internationally
Department chair, Teachers College
In 2005, Luthar was elected by faculty colleagues to be chair of the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, taking over for Professor
Madonna Constantine
Madonna G. Constantine was an American psychology and education professor who formerly taught at Teachers College, Columbia University. She was fired in 2008 on grounds of plagiarism.
Education and early career
Constantine earned a B.S. in psych ...
, who was to go on sabbatical.
In April 2009, the Asian Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development honored Luthar with an award citing her “mentorship, courage, and integrity”.
Teachers College designated Luthar as senior advisor to the provost in 2011, and in 2014, conferred the status of professor emerita.
S.S. Luthar named Professor Emerita
tc.columbia.edu; accessed October 27, 2014.
Honors and awards
Early scientific contributions were recognized by the American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...
(APA) in the form of a Dissertation Award in 1990 (Division 37; Child, Youth, & Family Services), and the Boyd McCandless Young Scientist Award in 1998 (Division 7; Developmental Psychology). In 2006, Luthar was named Member of the New York Academy of Sciences, and named Fellow of the American Association for Psychological Science
The Association for Psychological Science (APS), previously the American Psychological Society, is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to promote, protect, and advance the interests of scientifically oriented psychology in ...
in recognition of her distinguished contributions to science. In September, 2015, she was named Fellow of the American Psychological Association'
Divisions 7 and 37
(Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice). Other awards include a Research Scientist Development Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a United States federal government research institute whose mission is to "advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual a ...
(1993), an American Mensa Education and Research Foundation Award for Excellence in Research on Intelligence (1995), and an award for Integrity and Mentorship from the Society for Research in Child Development
The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) is a professional society for the field of human development, focusing specifically on child development. It is a multidisciplinary, not-for-profit, professional association with a membership of ...
(SRCD)'s Asian Caucus in 2009.[Profile](_blank)
srcdasiancaucus.org; accessed March 5, 2015. In 2020, Luthar received the Society for Research on Adolescents
John P. Hill Memorial Award
recognizing the significant contributions of her programmatic research to understanding of development during the second decade of the lifespan.
Luthar served as chair of a grant peer review committee at the National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...
's Center for Scientific Review
The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) is the portal for United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications and their review for scientific merit. The CSR organizes the peer review groups or study sections that evaluate the major ...
(2002–04), was elected member of the Governing Council of SRCD (2006–09), and chair of SRCD's Asian Caucus (2008–09). She served on the APA'
Committee on Socioeconomic Status
(2007–08), was elected to APA'
Council of Representatives (Division 7) Developmental Psychology; 2013-16
and was elected to b
President
of APA's Division 7 (2019). Luthar was also among the experts of experts contributing to the National Academies' 2019 report
Vibrant and Healthy Kids: Aligning Science, Practice, and Policy to Advance Health Equity
Publications
In addition to peer-reviewed journal articles, Luthar's writing include
''Children in poverty: Risk and protective forces in adjustment''
''Developmental psychopathology: Perspectives on adjustment, risk, and disorder''
an
''Resilience and vulnerability in childhood: Adaptation in the context of adversities''
She served as Associate Editor of the peer-reviewed journal
(2004–07)
an
''Development and Psychopathology''
(1999–present).
Sources
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luthar, Suniya S
21st-century American psychologists
American women psychologists
Yale University faculty
Teachers College, Columbia University faculty
Arizona State University faculty
Cathedral and John Connon School alumni
Indian expatriates in the United States
People from New Delhi
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
American women academics
21st-century American women