Tracy M. Scull, Ph.D., is a Research Associate II at innovation Research & Training, Inc. She received her doctorate in Developmental Psychology from Duke University and has extensive research experience in the area of child development, including cognitive, perceptual, and motor development.

At iRT, Dr. Scull’s work has concentrated on the prevention of risk behaviors in children and adolescents using media literacy education. To that end, she has served as the Project Director on a state contract to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of Media Ready, a middle school, media literacy, substance abuse prevention program. In addition, she has served as the Project Director of a Phase II SBIR grant designed to develop and evaluate Media Detective, a media literacy, substance abuse prevention program for use with late elementary school-aged students. Following from this work, she has served as Principal Investigator on a Phase I SBIR grant to develop a parenting intervention to complement the Media Detective program. Finally, Dr. Scull has served as the Project Director of a Phase I grant and currently serving as the Co-Investigator on a Phase II grant designed to develop Media World, a media literacy, substance abuse prevention program for use with high school-aged students. Currently, the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is independently reviewing the Media Detective and Media Ready programs, which will ultimately result in the programs being included on their list of evidence-based mental health and substance abuse interventions. Building off of her applied work, Dr. Scull has published an empirical article in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence that was the first to investigate the unique influence that media-related cognitions have on adolescents’ current and future substance use, above and beyond the influence of parents and peers.

Most recently, Dr. Scull has begun to apply media literacy education for the promotion of healthy relationships and the prevention of teen pregnancy and STIs. She has been funded as a Principal Investigator through a contract with The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy to evaluate whether watching and discussing the TV show ‘16 and Pregnant’ positively impacts adolescents’ attitudes and cognitions about teen pregnancy. In addition, she is serving as a Principal Investigator on a Phase I SBIR grant to create a middle school media literacy program for reproductive health focusing on romantic relationships, pregnancy prevention, and the prevention of STIs.

Overall, Dr. Scull has extensive experience developing and implementing research studies with children and adolescents; working with teachers, principals, and school district personnel; collecting and managing large data sets; managing project staff; conducting parametric and non-parametric statistical analysis; writing technical reports and peer-reviewed publications; conducting media literacy trainings; and disseminating research findings.

SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS:

Scull, T.M. & Kupersmidt, J.B. (under review). An evaluation of a media literacy teacher training workshop for late elementary school teachers.

Kupersmidt, J.B., Scull, T.M., & Benson, J.W. (under review). The Media Ready Project: A randomized efficacy trial of a middle school media literacy program for substance abuse prevention.

Kupersmidt, J.B., Scull, T.M., & Austin, E.A. (in press). Media literacy education for elementary school substance use prevention: Randomized efficacy study of Media Detective. Pediatrics.

Scull, T. M., Kupersmidt, J. B., Parker, A.E., Elmore, K.C., & Benson, J.W. (Published online October 1, 2009). Media-related cognitions and adolescent substance use in the context of parental and peer influences. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-009-9455-3

Barrett, T.M., Traupman, E., & Needham, A. (2008). Infants’ visual anticipation of object structure in grasp planning. Infant Behavior & Development.

Barrett, T.M. & Needham, A. (2008). Developmental differences in infants’ use of an object’s shape to grasp it securely. Developmental Psychobiology.

Barrett, T.M., Davis, E.F., & Needham, A. (2007). Learning about tools in infancy. Developmental Psychology, 43(2), 352-368.

Lewis, M.A., Kalinowski, C.T., Sterba, K.R., Barrett, T.M., & DeVellis, R.F. (2006). Interpersonal Processes and Vasculitis Management. Arthritis Care & Research, 55(4), 670-675.

Needham, A., Barrett, T., & Peterman, K. (2002). A pick-me-up for infants’ exploratory skills: Early simulated experiences reaching for objects using ‘sticky mittens’ enhances young infants’ object exploration skills. Infant Behavior and Development, 25(3), 279-295.

SELECTED OTHER PUBLICATIONS:

Scull, T.M. & Kupersmidt, J.B. (unpublished curriculum). Media Detective Parent Night.

Mulrooney-Jones, D., Elmore, K., Kupersmidt, J., & Barrett, T. (2007). Drug Free Communities Survey: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. Report submitted to Chapel Hill-Carrboro Community Backyard.

Barrett, T.M. & Kupersmidt, J. (2008). The Media Literacy Education Project: Dissemination and Evaluation of Media Ready, a Middle School Media Literacy Substance Abuse Prevention Program. Report submitted to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services.

Barrett, T.M., Benson, J.W., McMinn, B., Elmore, K.C., & Kupersmidt, J.B. (2007). The Media Literacy Education Project: Dissemination and Evaluation of Media Ready, a Middle School Media Literacy Substance Abuse Prevention Program. Report submitted to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services.

Kupersmidt, J., Barrett, T.M., Wilson, J., & Markovits, L. (2006). Media Wise: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Middle School Media Literacy Education Program for Preventing Underage Drinking. Report submitted to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services.

Wilson, Stern, Markovits, L., Barrett, T.M., & Kupersmidt, J. (unpublished curriculum). Media Ready: A Middle School Media Literacy Curriculum for Substance Abuse Prevention (formerly known as Media Wise).

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS:

Scull, T.M. (2009). Media Detective: A new NIDA-funded media literacy substance abuse prevention program. Workshop presented at the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America’s Mid-Year Training Institute: Louisville, KY.

Scull, T.M., Kupersmidt, J.B., & Voegler-Lee, M.E. (2009). Everyday positive learning activities and mothers’ emotional functioning in relation to preschool outcomes: A preliminary analysis. Poster presented at the Biennial Conference of the Society of Research in Child Development: Denver, CO.

Scull, T. M., & Kupersmidt, J. B. (2008). Media Detective: A new evidence-based, elementary school, media literacy, substance abuse prevention program. Paper presented at the 21st Annual National Prevention Network Prevention Research Conference, Indianapolis, IN.

Kupersmidt, J. B. & Scull, T. M. (2008). Media Ready: A new evidence-based, middle school, media literacy, substance abuse prevention program. Paper presented at the 21st Annual National Prevention Network Prevention Research Conference, Indianapolis, IN.

Barrett, T. M., Kupersmidt, J. B., Benson, J.W., & Elmore, K.C. (2008). Exploration of mediators and moderators of a media literacy, substance abuse prevention program for middle school students. Poster presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence Conference, Chicago, IL.

Barrett, T. M., Kupersmidt, J.B., Elmore, K.C., & Benson, J.W. (2008). Further exploration of media influence on adolescents’ moral beliefs and intentions surrounding substance use. Poster presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence Conference, Chicago, IL.

Parker, A., Barrett, T. M., Parker, J.G., Kupersmidt, J.B., Stelter, R.L., & Parker, K. (2008). Adolescent characteristics and parental protective behaviors surrounding alcohol use in high- and low-risk environments. Poster presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence Conference, Chicago, IL.

Barrett, T.M. & Kupersmidt, J.B.  (February, 2008).  Media Literacy, Substance Abuse Prevention Programs for Middle School Students.  Workshop presented at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Safe, Orderly, & Caring Schools Conference, Greensboro, NC.

Kupersmidt, J. B. & Barrett, T. M. (November, 2007). Media Literacy Substance Abuse Prevention Programs for Elementary and Middle School-Aged Youth. Talk presented to the Prevention Team of the North Carolina Department of Mental Health Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services.

Barrett, T. M., Kupersmidt, J. B., Benson, J.W., & Elmore, K.C. (2007). Evaluation of the North Carolina Middle School, Media Literacy, Substance Abuse Prevention Project. Poster presented at the first Research Summit of the Alliance for a Media Literate America, St. Louis, MO.

Kupersmidt, J. B., Barrett, T. M., Elmore, K.C., & Benson, J.W. (2007). Preliminary Findings from the Evaluation of the Elementary Media Literacy, Substance Abuse Prevention Project. Paper presented at the first Research Summit of the Alliance for a Media Literate America, St. Louis, MO.

Wilson, J., Dawes, D., Markovits, L., Stern, R., Barrett, T.M., & Kupersmidt, J. (August 2006). Media Literacy Workshop: Media Literacy and Its Role in Preventing Underage Drinking. Presentation to the North Carolina Task Force, Raleigh, NC.