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Cindy Smith

Cindy Smith, Professor and Associate Department Head

Cindy Smith, Professor and Associate Department Head
Cindy Smith, Professor and Associate Department Head

Department of Human Development and Family Science
295 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-4793 | smithcl@vt.edu

Cindy Smith is the associate department head of the Department of Human Development and Family Science, where she is also a professor. She runs the Children’s Emotions Lab as well.

Accepting new grad students: Yes
In need of students for research team: Yes
Name of research team: Children’s Emotions Lab

  • Social and Emotional Development of Young Children
  • Parent-Child Interactions
  • Impact of Parent Personality, Marital Relations, and Family Stress on Parenting Behaviors
  • Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  • M.A., University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  • B.S., The Pennsylvania State University
  • Editorial Board, Infancy
  • Advisory Board, DSI
  • Area Coordinator, Child and Adolescent Development Graduate Program
  • 2011 Brabazon Award for Evaluation Research, Generations United For the intergenerational evaluation research publication:  Jarrott, S.E. & Smith, C.L. (2011). The complement of research and theory in practice: Contact theory at work in non‐familial intergenerational programs. The Gerontologist, 51, 112‐121.
  • 2011 Program of Distinction Award to Neighbors Growing Together, Generations United
  • 2008‐2009 Excellence in Undergraduate Advising Award, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Virginia Tech

Books

Moving Forward in the Study of Temperament and Early Education Outcomes: Mediating and Moderating Factors. Cynthia L. Smith and David J. Bridgett, editors. Routledge, 2019.

Journal Articles

Jarrott, S. E., & Smith, C. L. (2011). The complement of research and theory in practice: Contact theory at work in non-familial intergenerational programs. The Gerontologist, 51, 112-121.

Smith, C. L. (2010). Multiple determinants of parenting:  Predicting individual differences in maternal parenting behavior with toddlers.  Parenting: Science and Practice, 10, 1-17.

Smith, C. L., & Bell, M. A. (2010). Stability in infant frontal asymmetry as a predictor of toddlerhood internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Developmental Psychobiology, 52, 158-167.

Jarrott, S. E., Smith, C. L., & Weintraub, A. P. C. (2008).  Development of a standardized tool for intergenerational programming: The Intergenerational Observation Scale.  Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 6, 433-447.

Book Chapters

Eisenberg, N., Smith, C. L., & Spinrad, T. L. (2011). Effortful control: Relations with emotion regulation, adjustment, and socialization in childhood. In K. D. Vohs & R. F. Baumeister (Eds.), Handbook of self‐regulation: Research, theory, and applications (2nd ed., pp. 263‐ 283). New York: Guilford Press.

Smith, C. L., Spinrad, T. L., Eisenberg, N., Grieving, K., Liew, J., & Eggum, N. D. (2007). Anger and anger regulation in infancy. In E. I. Clausen (Ed.), Anger in psychology (pp. 107‐122). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

  • Ridgwell, D., Geller, E. S., Ivory, J., Jayaram, L., McConnell, K., Smith, C., & Tatar, D. (2011, February).  2011 Summer Scholars Program: The Human Dynamics of Violence Prevention Research Team.  Internal funding from the Virginia Tech Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment.  May 11 – June 11.  Responsibility: Co‐Investigator, one summer month effort.  Funded for $18,000.
  • Smith, C. L. (2010, May). Strategic course buyout to support external grant submissions. Internal funding from the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. August 10 – December 10.  Responsibility: PI, 12.5% effort. Funded for $4,000.
  • Brinberg, D., & Smith, C. L. (2010, January). Parents as agents of behavioral change to reduce adolescent obesity. Internal funding from the Virginia Tech Institute for Society, Culture and Environment (Fralin/ISCE Obesity Initiative). January 10 – May 10. Responsibility: Co‐PI, 5% effort. Funded for $9,800.