Adedoyin Okanlawon

Adedoyin Okanlawon (peace studies and psychology) received a B.A. in Psychology from Rochester University in 2015. She also holds a Master’s in Research Psychology from the University of Massachusetts.

Ade’s initial interest in peace studies began during her experience working with a church organization in Nigeria to help reconnect youth who were attempting to reintegrate into the community after being recruited by gang members in various areas of Lagos. Most recently, Ade has collaborated with Dr. Theresa Betancourt’s team at Boston College utilizing a longitudinal dataset based on war-affected youth from Sierra Leone.

Ade's research interests include understanding how societal structures contribute to stigma, and the implications for the biopsychosocial development of war-affected youths and their families. She is also interested in documenting how cultural norms and institutional policies and practices constrain the opportunities, resources, and wellbeing of stigmatized individuals, especially those from low-to-middle income countries experiencing conflict. She is interested in pushing past what Western literature has to offer in creating prevention and intervention programs that aid reintegration for youth and their families.

Ade is a Richard and Peggy Notebaert Premier Fellow.