Nancy is a developmental psychologist, Professor of Psychological Science and former Dean of the School of Social Ecology at the University of California at Irvine. Her research focuses on understanding and preventing problem behaviors among children and youth, and promoting positive development and well-being. She has worked extensively with schools, families, community groups, service providers, national and international agencies across a range of prevention and development efforts. Her work is based on cognitive behavioral processes, emphasizing the role of thoughts and beliefs in determining and modifying behavior and how these are shaped by context. She has been involved in the development and evaluation of several large scale prevention programs including serving as principal investigator for the Metropolitan Area Child Study, an 8 year development and prevention study with urban and inner-city children in Chicago, funded by NIMH, a district wide SAMHSA funded Safe Students project in southern California to promote healthy development and prevent risk through Wellness Centers. and a CDC funded Academic Center of Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention.