Ryan Watson is a third year Ph.D. student studying sexual-minority youth and their interpersonal relationships during adolescence. Areas of interest include family acceptance and how it is linked to emotional well-being, educational and occupational success, romantic relationships, parent/children negotiations with schools, and mental health outcomes for sexual minorities. He works with Dr. Stephen Russell to identify factors that lead to the positive adjustment for minority youth. He is involved in various projects with the McClelland Institute, such as the Crossroads Collaborative and the Family Acceptance Project.
Ryan's work is assisted by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, which funds his independent research from August 2011-August 2014. He completed his Master’s thesis in May 2012, which explored the buffering effect of romantic relationships and the potential links of family support and academic achievement for sexual minorities.
Ryan is a Principal investigator (PI) on an ongoing study that investigates the motivations for "hooking up" amongst college students.
Scholarly Publications
Watson, R.J., & Russell, S.T. (2012). LGBTQ Families and Schools. In the American Educational Research Association annual report.
Watson, R. J., Russell, S.T., Licona, A.C. (2012). Prevalence and Interventions of Bullying in Tucson Public Schools. (Crossroads Collaborative; Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth, and Families). Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona.
Russell, S.T., Watson, R.J., & Muraco, J.A. (2011). Development of same-sex intimate relationships. In B. Laursen & A.W. Collins (Eds.), Relationship Pathways: From Adolescence to Young Adulthood. Sage Press, 215-233.
Russell, S.T., Licona, A.C., Watson, R. J., Mock, K., Sandoval, M., Tilley, E., Snapp, S. (2011). Evaluation of the “School Climate Survey”, “Let’s Get Real Program”, “Nuestra Voz Summer Camp” and In-class Nuestra Voz Program. (Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth, and Families, YWCA Evaluation). Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona.
Watson, R.J. (in progress). The impact of interpersonal relationships on educational outcomes for sexual minority youth.
Watson, R.J., Sinclair, K.O., & Russell, S.T. (in progress). The effects of being out on academic achievement.
Watson, R.J. (in progress). The effects of family support on depression in LGB youth: a meta-analytic investigation.
Russell, S.T., Snapp, S., & Watson, R.J. (in progress). Family acceptance and healthy adjustment of LGB young adults.
Fellowships & Grants
National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship ($121,500), 2011-2014, PI.
Graduate Diversity Fellow ($10,000), 2010.
Teaching
Summer 2012: Family Studies & Human Development (FSHD) 450: Human Sexuality (Co-Instructor)
Summer 2011: Family Studies & Human Development (FSHD) 450: Human Sexuality (Co-instructor)
Spring 2012: Family Studies & Human Development (FSHD) 450: Human Sexuality (TA)