Dr. Marinda is a tenured professor of Human Development and Family Studies at a public R1 university whose work challenges many of the assumptions currently guiding education, youth development, and performance culture. Rather than focusing on surface-level strategies, she examines the internal capacities that actually determine whether adults are effective with young people over time.
She is the author of Teaching Black Youth After the Dual Pandemics (September 2026), a grounded account of what teaching required in the years following COVID-19 and the resurgence of racial justice movements. Drawing on multi-year research with teachers in high-need urban schools, the book documents what has changed and why it matters. Another forthcoming book, Flipstream Teachers, extends this work by introducing a framework built around emotional regulation, restraint, interpretive judgment, and ego strength—arguing that what makes teachers effective is not technique, but how they read and respond to complex situations as they unfold. She is also completing a third book on sports and youth development, co-developed with a Division I strength and conditioning coach, which uses performance environments to rethink youth development.
Across these projects, Dr. Marinda’s work centers on youth identity development and the adults who influence it (teachers, coaches, mentors, and parents) especially in contexts marked by pressure, inequality, and competing expectations. She is particularly interested in how well-intentioned approaches often undermine long-term growth, and what it takes to build young people who are not only supported, but capable.
Beyond the university, she works directly with K–12 schools, districts, and organizations, leading professional development that moves past compliance-based models toward deeper professional judgment. Her sessions focus on trauma-informed practice, educator identity, and real-time decision-making in complex classrooms. Participants often describe her work as both affirming and disruptive, pushing them to reconsider what they believe about students, themselves, and the nature of effective teaching.
Her work has been featured in The Atlantic and Yahoo News, and speaks to a growing audience of educators, coaches, and leaders who are looking for something more durable than the latest initiative.
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"I genuinelly don't want anyone else doing our professional development training, ever. Like, ever. If I could afford it, I would hire you every month of the year. Thanks for always being on your game."
Ben Ortiz, 2022
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I invest in various forms of youth development training. Through targeted lessons in communication, resilience, trauma, diversity, identity-based bullying, and college prep, I help young people build the skills they need to succeed. With a focus on practical, real-world applications, I work with schools to ensure that every student has the tools they need to thrive.
Organizations benefit from fostering inclusive, empathetic, and supportive cultures that recognize and address the potential impact of trauma on individuals, especially considering the intersectionality of race and work experiences. My training addresses these issues and opportunities.
I apply the principles of trauma-informed care in parenting and family contexts. If desired, I also teach how adopting anti-racist practices within the family unit can contribute to healthier, more supportive relationships. Within the educational context, I help parents and families use insights from my research to engage more effectively with their children's education and collaborate with educators to create a positive learning environment.
