Rate My Professor Cheryl Somers

Her research specializations encompass contextual predictors—such as family, peers, school, and media—of social-emotional development, academic achievement, physical health, and sexual health outcomes, with a focus on vulnerable youth from low-income and economically marginalized backgrounds. Somers investigates trauma exposure and trauma-informed teaching interventions, the integration of mental and physical health and wellness, school-based programs to mitigate risk behaviors, resilience and recovery from trauma, and the training and impact of Community Health Workers on social determinants of health inequities. Key publications include "Students' perceptions of parent–adolescent closeness and communication about sexuality: Relations with sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors" (Somers & Paulson, 2000), "Individual and social factors related to urban African American adolescents' school performance" (Somers, Owens, & Piliawsky, 2008), "A study of high school dropout prevention and at-risk ninth graders' role models and motivations for school completion" (Somers, Owens, & Piliawsky, 2009), "Student perspectives on how trauma experiences manifest in the classroom: Engaging court-involved youth in the development of a trauma-informed teaching curriculum" (West, Day, Somers, & Baroni, 2014), and "Parental social support, perceived competence and enjoyment in school physical activity" (Shen et al., 2018). Her scholarship, cited over 4,900 times, advances health and wellness equity and youth interventions in urban settings.