Download CV

Mia Smith-Bynum

Professor and Chair, Family Science

Mia Smith-Bynum, PhD is Professor and Chair of Family Science in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland, College Park. A clinical psychologist by training, Dr. Smith-Bynum directs the Black Families Research Group and is an expert in African American mental health, family interaction and communication in ethnic minority families, parenting and racial identity. She also has expertise in adolescent mental health, adolescent sexual behavior and parent-adolescent communication about difficult topics.

Contact

msbynum@umd.edu

SPH | Room 1142

(301) 405-0299

Departments/Units

Areas of Interest

Core Faculty

Parenting; Racial Socialization; Adolescent Development; Mental Health; Black Families

Lab Webpage: Black Families Research Group

Dr. Smith-Bynum will not be taking doctoral students for the entering 2025-2026 graduate class.

Mia A. Smith-Bynum, PhD, is Professor of Family Science in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland, College Park. A clinical psychologist by training, Dr. Smith-Bynum is an expert in African American mental health, family interaction and communication in ethnic minority families, parenting and racial identity. She also has expertise in adolescent mental health, adolescent sexual behavior and parent-adolescent communication about difficult topics.

Dr. Smith-Bynum earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia. She completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in child and family development at the University of Georgia before joining the faculty in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University in 2001.

In 2008, Dr. Smith-Bynum was promoted to Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences. She joined the Department of Family Science at the University of Maryland in 2010 where she is currently Director of the Black Families Research Group. She was promoted to Professor in 2021. Her research has been supported by external grants from several entities, including the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Her work is published in several professional research journals in psychology and family studies.

She is the Past Chair (2027-2019, 2019-2021) of the Black Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development. She served as the inaugural Senior Director for Science Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (2021-2023) at the American Psychological Association. In that role she served as the lead staff liaison for several major projects including the APA Task Force Report on Promotion, Tenure and Retention of Faculty of Color in Psychology and the APA Journal Article Reporting Standards on Race, Ethnicity, & Culture (JARS-REC). She is currently completing a self-help book for Black women through New Harbinger Press.

PhD, Clinical Psychology University of Virginia (1999)

M.A. Clinical Psychology University of Virginia (1996)

B.A. Psychology with Honors University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (1993)

Postdoctoral Fellow University of Georgia, Center for Family Research (1999-2001)

FMSC 420 African American Families

FMSC 606 Ethnic Families & Health Disparities

FMSC 879 Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals

2011 Outstanding Mentor, Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, UMD
2015 Fellow, American Psychological Association, Division 43: Society of Family Psychology
2015 Rosa Parks Labor of Love Award, Nyumburu Cultural Center, UMD
2016 Faculty Minority Achievement Award, UMD President’s Commission on Ethnic Minority Issues
2016 Recipient, Jerry P. Wrenn Outstanding Service Award, School of Public Health, UMD
2017 Recipient, Doris W. Sands Excellence in Teaching Award, School of Public Health, UMD

Author of the Theory of Racial Socialization in Action for Black Adolescents and Families (TRSA)

Co-Author, Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity (MMRI) and the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (MIBI)

Selected Publications

Smith-Bynum, M. A. (2023). The Theory of Racial Socialization in Action for Black adolescents and their families (pp. 59-91). In D. P. Witherspoon & G. L. Stein (Eds.), Diversity and Developmental Science: Bridging the Gaps Between Research, Practice, & Policy. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23163-6_4

Williams, A. D., Aronson, K. M., Chavous, T. M., Cooke, D., Hoggard, L. S., Kohn Wood, L., Lesane-Brown, C., Lewis-McCoy, R. L., Martin, P. P., Rowley, S. J., Seaton, E. K., Smalls Glover, C., Smith-Bynum, M. A., Wout, D. A., Yip, T., & Neblett Jr., E. W. (2023). Standing on the shoulders of a giant: The legacy of Robert M. Sellers. American Psychologist, 78(4), 441–456. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001129

Osborne, K. R.†, Smith-Bynum, M. A., Waldorf, A. A., Anderson, L. A., O'Brien Caughy, M. (2023). Preparing Black and Latinx children for police encounters: Caregiver response profiles and child self-regulation. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 33, 547–563. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12824

Osborne, K. R., Walsdorf, A. A., Smith-Bynum, M. A., Redig, S., Brinkley, D., Owen, M. T., & Caughy, M. O. (2023). Responding to racism at school: Ethnic-racial socialization and the academic engagement of Black and Latinx youth. Child Development, 94, 219– 236. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13853

Osborne, K. R., Walsdorf, A. A., Smith-Bynum, M. A., Redig, S., Brinkley, D., Owen, M. T., & Caughy, M. O. (2022). Responding to racism at school: Ethnic-racial socialization and the academic engagement of Black and Latinx youth. Child Development, 00, 1– 18. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13853

Smith-Bynum, M. A. (2022). It’s about time Black Lives Matter: The urgency of research on Black youth development. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 32(1), 302-306. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12735

Williams, N. D., Winer, B. Aparicio, E. M., Smith-Bynum, M. A., Boekeloo, B. O. & Fish, J. N. (2022). Professional expectations of provider LGBTQ competence: Where we are and where we need to go. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, https://doi.org/10.1080/19359705.2022.2146825

#Ahn, L. H., #Dunbar, A. S., #Coates, E. E., & Smith-Bynum, M. A. (2021). Cultural and Universal Parenting, Ethnic Identity, and Internalizing Symptoms Among African American Adolescents. Journal of Black Psychology, 47(8), 695–717. https://doi.org/10.1177/00957984211034290

#Dunbar, A. S., #HaRim Ahn, L., #Coates, E. E., & Smith-Bynum, M. A. (2021). Observed dyadic racial socialization disrupts the association between frequent discriminatory experiences and emotional reactivity among Black adolescents. Child Development, 00, 1– 19. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13680

Kelly, S., Jeremie‐Brink, G., Chambers, A.L., Smith‐Bynum, M.A. (2020), The Black Lives Matter Movement: A call to action for couple and family therapists. Family Process.

#Davis Tribble, B. L., #Allen, S. H., #Hart, J. R., #Francois, T. S., & Smith-Bynum, M. A. (2019). “No [right] way to be a Black woman”: Exploring gendered racial socialization among Black women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 43, 381-397.

#Hart, J. R., Coates, E. & Smith-Bynum, M. A. (2019). Parenting style and mother-adolescent relationship quality in African American mother-adolescent dyads. Parenting: Science and Practice, 19, 318-340.

Chae, D. H., Powell, W. A., Nuru-Jeter, A., Smith-Bynum, M. A., Forman, T., & Sellers, R. M. (2017). The role of racial identity and implicit racial bias in self-reported racial discrimination: Implications for depression among African American men. Journal of Black Psychology, 43, 789-812.

#Davis, B. L., Smith-Bynum, M. A., #Saleem, F. T., #Francois, T, & Lambert, S. F. (2017). Racial socialization, private regard, and behavior problems in African American youth: Global self-esteem as a mediator. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 13, 64-71.

Smith-Bynum, M. A., #Anderson, R. E., #Davis, B. L., #Franco, M. G., & #English, D. (2016). Observed racial socialization and maternal positive emotions in African American mother–adolescent discussions about racial discrimination. Child Development, 87, 1926-1939.

#Henry, J. S., Lambert, S. F., & Smith Bynum, M. (2015). The protective role of maternal racial socialization for African American adolescents exposed to community violence. Journal of Family Psychology, 29, 548-557.

Smith-Bynum, M. A., Lambert, S. F., #English, D., & Ialongo, N. S. (2014). Associations between trajectories of perceived racial discrimination and psychological symptoms among African American adolescents. Development and Psychopathology, 26, 1049-1065.

Bynum, M. S., #Best, C., Barnes, S. L., & #Burton, E. T. (2008). Private regard, identity protection and perceived racism among African American Males. Journal of African American Studies, 12, 142-155.

Bynum, M. S., #Burton, E. T., & #Best, C. (2007). Racism experiences and psychological functioning in African American college freshmen: Is racial socialization a moderator? Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 13, 64-71.

#Denotes student or protegé coauthor

Selected Speaking Engagements:

UMD Anti-Racism Teach-In #1 June 11, 2020 (YouTube Video)

Incorporating Racial Socialization into Clinical Practice (YouTube Video)

Companion to: Kelly, S., Jeremie‐Brink, G., Chambers, A.L., Smith‐Bynum, M.A. (2020), The Black Lives Matter Movement: A call to action for couple and family therapists. Family Process.

Selected Media Interviews:

Smith, N. (2018, March 22). Why are Black children are committing suicide? Atlanta Black Star. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/05/22/we-need-more-white-parents-talk-their-kids-about-race-especially-now/

White-Cummings, C. (2020, May 22). We need more white parents to talk to their kids about race. Especially now. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/05/22/we-need-more-white-parents-talk-their-kids-about-race-especially-now/

D’Arcy, J. (2012, November 7). Parenting through the non-post-racial post-election. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-parenting/post/parenting-through-the-non-post-racial-post-election/2012/11/07/90ba15c0-28fa-11e2-bab2-eda299503684_blog.html