Recorded on Oct. 23, 2025
Beyond MU: Helping Your College Student Thrive in Uncertain Personal and Societal Times
Dr. Nakia Gordon (Psychology) and Dr. Gabriel Velez (Educational Policy and Leadership and Psychology)
College is an exciting and formative time, but the experience for many young people also involves a range of challenges and uncertainties. Transitions are always consequential, but in our current context, many students face new independence in time management, social contexts and academics. They must also build new social networks and supports, and navigate broader economic and societal stressors as they think about their futures as adult citizens. But all is not doom and gloom, and there is much that adults — especially parents and loved ones — can do to better understand and support their young people to help keep them grounded and thriving, while also becoming more independent and blazing their own path. In this webinar, Dr. Nakia Gordon and Dr. Gabriel Velez will provide context for why the transition to college can be hard and uncertain (particularly in our current day and age), but also the many opportunities for growing, maturing and building social and emotional strength.
Dr. Nakia Gordon
Nakia Gordon is an associate professor and neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology at Marquette University. Her research examines the physiological and psychological factors that affect interpersonal relationships, with an emphasis on the role of emotion and its regulation. Dr. Gordon applies insights from this work to the development of holistic wellness programs, integrating scientific understanding of emotion and social connection to promote well-being.
Dr. Gabriel Velez
Gabriel Velez is an associate professor and developmental psychologist in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership (EDPL) in the College of Education at Marquette University, with a joint appointment in psychology. Dr. Velez studies identity development in adolescents and emerging adults, particularly in relation to their educational experiences, including restorative justice, peace education, the transition to college, and artificial intelligence. He also serves as the Faculty Director of the Black and Latino/a Ecosystem and Support Transition (BLEST) Hub at Marquette, and the Chair of the Faculty Research Team for the Center for Peacemaking. Dr. Velez just published a book entitled, Making Meaning of Justice and Peace: A Developmental Lens to Restorative Justice and Peace Education, and is working on another manuscript on adolescent development, education, and artificial intelligence, both with Cambridge University Press. He received a BA in History and Literature from Harvard University, and an MA and PhD from the University of Chicago in Comparative Human Development. A detailed listing of his work can be found at https://marquette.academia.edu/GabrielVelez, and he can also be followed on Twitter at @GabrielMVelez or contacted via email at gabriel.velez@marquette.edu.
