Kelly McMinn is a senior health psychology major at Texas A&M University–Kingsville with plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and licensure to practice. Her academic interests center on adolescent mental health and understanding how research can inform meaningful support during critical developmental periods. Personal experiences observing the challenges many adolescents face motivated her to focus her studies on youth mental health and well-being.
Kelly currently serves as a student research assistant for Project SMART under the mentorship of Jun Wang, where she studies how social media influences adolescents’ mental health. Through this role, she has conducted interviews with youth participants and participated in outreach events for families and schools. These experiences have reinforced her belief that research should extend beyond data collection to ensure findings can be applied in ways that positively impact communities. Through the Science Influencers Mini program, Kelly looks forward to sharing Project SMART research at the Research Symposium and continuing to develop her ability to communicate mental health research effectively to the public.