Dr. Rebecca McHugh

Degrees and Credentials

Ph.D. Applied Developmental Psychology, University of Pittsburgh
M.S. Applied Developmental Psychology, University of Pittsburgh
B.A. Edinboro University

Short Bio

Dr. McHugh (or Dr. M) is a native of Pennsylvania. Having grown up surrounded by farmland and forest, she is a big fan of trees, nature, and wildlife. When she’s not working, she’s often found spending time with her family, gardening, fighting off an aggressively friendly family housecat, or curled up with a book or movie. 

Academic Focus

Dr. M teaches classes ranging from Introduction to Psychology to upper-level courses focusing on developmental processes across the lifespan. Her annual GE courses include Child Development and Lifespan Development. Her upper-level courses include Socioemotional Development, Cognitive Development, and Social Influences on Human Development; Children’s Media and Socialization, and Media Portrayals of Psychology; Psychology of Gender and Sexuality; and Parenting and the Family. She also oversees multiple collaborative and student-lead research studies, including Directed studies and research Projects.

Research, Accomplishments, and Publications

Since 2001, Dr. M has worked on a diverse array of research projects ranging from surveys to observational studies, programmatic evaluations, and interview studies. Her specialty is in qualitative and mixed methods research. Her research primarily focuses on the pressures and coping mechanisms of members of microcommunities through a process called Visibility Management.

She is passionate about student engagement in research, and works collaboratively on projects of mutual interest. Some of these align with her work on microcommunities; some overlap with her developmental training ; some focus on the campus community.

Watch her talk about the research she’s conducted with students on visibility management at Carnegie Mellon University’s TEDx conference.

Managing Visibility: Decide When To Say & Hide Our Hidden Features