Summary
Research and advising
Sarah N. Mitchell earned her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Missouri. Her qualitative research in Family Science focuses on the experiences of minoritized individuals (e.g., LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with minoritized gender and racial/ethnic identities). She is especially interested in the impact of intersecting minoritized identities – within familial and larger societal contexts.
She also has a background in psychology, utilizing intersectional and feminist frameworks in her research. Additionally, she is interested in social identity theory and symbolic interactionism as they pertain to the lived and familial experiences of individuals with multiple minoritized identities (especially for LGBTQ+ BIPOC individuals). She heads the IIRS (Intersecting Identities and Relationships Study) Research Lab mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.
She has a passion for mentoring and is always looking for curious and motivated research assistants and advisees! Current Undergraduate and Graduate students interested in joining the IIRS Research Lab should email sarahmitchell@unr.edu with inquiries regarding opportunities for the upcoming semester.
Undergraduate students may volunteer, receive HDFS 401: Independent Study credit, work with Dr. Mitchell as a McNair scholar, or apply for a PREP or NURA award to receive a salary and funding for their research. Graduate students may volunteer or receive HDFS 752: Graduate Research credit and/or HDFS 791: Internship credit as either a lab affiliate or as an official advisee.
Prospective students interested in attending graduate school for an HDFS degree at the University of Nevada, Reno should apply for the M.S. or Ph.D. program. Prospective doctoral students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Social Psychology should see the following admissions information. Prospective doctoral students (those interested in HDFS or Interdisciplinary Social Psychology), please email sarahmitchell@unr.edu to see if there are open spots for a given academic year.
Teaching and service
The courses Dr. Mitchell has taught in HDFS (e.g., Human Sexuality, Intimate Relationships and Marriage, Black Families, Divorce, Introduction to Families and Children and Families in a Multi-ethnic Society) incorporate the study of diverse and underrepresented individuals and families. She loves teaching and helping students grow in their knowledge of HDFS. Courses taught at University include:
- HDFS 720: Graduate Seminar – Theories of Human Development
- HDFS 438: Children and Families in a Multi-Ethnic Society
- HDFS 430: Advanced Studies in Human Sexuality
- HDFS 202: Introduction to Families
- HDFS 201: Lifespan Human Development
Undergraduate students who are interested in being a TA (and have taken one of the classes listed above) should email sarahmitchell@unr.edu with inquiries regarding opportunities for the upcoming semester.
Dr. Mitchell is also a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) and is interested in community service and engagement involving working with and/or on behalf of diverse populations.
Recent publications
*Indicates paper was conceptualized when the author was an undergraduate student mentee/associate, ⁂Indicates paper was conceptualized when the author was a graduate student mentee/associate
- *Flicop, T., & Mitchell, S. N. (2024). Checkbox “Other”: An exploration of the intersectional experiences of nonbinary and gender-diverse people of color. Global Journal of Human Social Sciences: C - Society and Culture, 24(2), 1-12.
- *Brothers, C., & Mitchell, S. N. (2023). Understanding jealousy among individuals with minoritized identities. Nevada State Undergraduate Research Journal, 9(1), 54-78.
- Mitchell, S. N., Mortensen, J. A., & Payne, P. B. (2023). Understanding implications of abortion access for families in a post-pandemic and post-Roe era. NCFR Report: Family Focus, 97, 14-16.
- Payne, P. B., Mitchell, S. N., ⁂Lopez, C. *DeCount, T., Shrout, M. R., Russell, K., Weigel, D., Evans, W., & Weiser, D. (2023). Young adults’ perceptions of morality-based messages from parents about sex: An exploratory study. Family Relations, 73(2), 935-956.
- Mitchell, S. N., & Payne, P. B. (2023). Exploring cultural competence topics in family science classrooms. In S. L. Finley, P. Correll, C. Pearman, & S. P. Huffman (Eds.), Empowering Students Through Multilingual and Content Discourse (pp. 244-259). IGI Global.
- Mitchell, S. N., Ganong, L., & Coleman, M. (2023). “The in-between spaces of those labels”: Exploring the challenges and positives of being a bisexual woman of color. Global Journal of Human Social Sciences: C - Society and Culture, 23(3), 13-28.
- Mitchell, S. N., Landor, A. M., & Zeiders, K. H. (2023). An exploratory study of the influence of marital attitudes and skin tone on the romantic relationship quality among African American and Latinx young adults. In A. J. C. Hernández & S. L. Blair (Eds.), Conjugal trajectories: Relationship beginnings, change, and dissolutions, Contemporary perspectives in family research ( 22, pp. 1–23). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
- Mitchell, S. N. (2023). Figuring out how to participate in the system: Using reflexive feminist autoethnography to explore intersectional experiences in the professional and political spheres of academia. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 15(2), 235-247.
- *Kent, M., *Matos, J., *Rianda, L., Walsh, B. A., & Mitchell, S.N. (2023). Homelessness in LGBTQ+ emerging adults: Understanding perspectives and the role of family. Nevada State Undergraduate Research Journal, 8(1), 66-84.
- *Tsuzaki, E., & Mitchell, S.N. (2023). Investigating the lived experiences of plurisexual men of color. Nevada State Undergraduate Research Journal, 8(1), 46-65.
- Walsh, B. A., Mitchell, S.N., Batz, R., Lee, A., Aguirre, M., Lucero, J., Edwards, A. L., Hambrick, K., & Zeh, D. W. (2023). Familial roles and support of doctoral students. Family Relations, 72(5), 2444-2464.
- Mitchell, S.N., & Easton-Brooks, D. (2022). Black faculty serving Black students during Covid-19: Reflections on impact, experiences, and best practices in higher education. Journal of Negro Education, 91(3), 322-335.
- Mitchell, S.N. (2022). Queering family trees: Race, reproductive justice, and lesbian motherhood by Sandra Patton‐Imani. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 14(4), 725–733.
In the media
- University Honors College Instagram post (12/2022)
- NevadaToday (7/2022): Understanding marginalized experiences to actively implement research - Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Research mentor Dr. Sarah Mitchell sheds light on the significance of research regarding marginalized identities
- Nevada Discovery Museum - Social Science: Pride (6/2022): Keynote Speaker Presentation
- NevadaToday (4/2022): Undergraduate researchers prepare for Wolf Pack Discoveries - Faculty mentors and student awardees provide insight to the rewarding experience of University-supported research, scholarly and creative activities
- NevadaToday (2/2022): Faces of the Pack: Blesethe West challenges herself by pursuing Undergraduate Research - Pack Research Experience Program and valuable faculty mentorship provide opportunities for first-year pre-med student to get out of her comfort zone
- Nevada Silver & Blue (5/2021): SENIOR SCHOLAR SPRING 2021 – Miranda Billings (Mentee)
- NevadaToday (11/2019): Undergraduate research group examines homelessness in LGBTQ+ emerging adults - Human Development and Family Sciences students in College of Education included cities around the west for data collection
Education
- Ph.D., Human Development and Family Science, University of Missouri
- M.A., Human Development and Family Science, University of Missouri
- B.A., Psychology, University of Missouri