WEBINAR

Teen Brain Development: How Libraries Can Better Serve Teens Through Understanding

Adolescence is a time of rapid cognitive and emotional growth, yet many library policies and practices are not responsive to the root causes of teen behavior. This webinar will explore the latest research on teen brain development and how libraries can use this knowledge to create more supportive and effective programs and services for young people.

Dr. Kimberly P. Garza, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Public Health at Roanoke College, will provide an overview of key insights into adolescent brain development. Michelle Hamiel, Chief of Programs at the Urban Libraries Council, will join Dr. Garza to discuss common biases against teens and how libraries can shift their approach to better engage and empower them. The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A.

Moderator: Michelle Hamiel

Chief of Programs, Urban Libraries Council

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Michelle strengthens the urban library role in local ecosystems and advances partnerships and programs resulting in systemic change. She is known and respected throughout public libraries for her leadership to diversify the profession, to serve marginalized communities and to increase racial and social equity. Prior to joining ULC, Michelle served as Prince George's County Memorial Library System's chief operating officer and led the mission, vision, innovation and operations of the library's 19 branches and the county detention center.

Dr. Kimberly P. Garza

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Public Health, Roanoke College

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Kimberly Garza is a bio-cultural anthropologist and public health researcher with a passion for capturing the lived experience of adolescents. Her work has focused on stress and peer interactions in middle school girls in rural Mississippi and working with youth with type 1 diabetes and their families to improve clinical and psychological care. She has two current research projects. One is the CGM Pilot study, funded by the American Diabetes Association, working with teens to overcome barriers to using a continuous glucose monitor. She is also working with her co-director of Play Lab to develop a pilot study examining adolescent play in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia. As a professor at Roanoke College, she can pass along this passion for adolescent health to her students and bring them into the research process. 

Kimberly received her undergraduate degree in Anthropology from Northwestern University, and her Master's in Public Health and Ph.D. in Anthropology were awarded by the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is an Assistant Professor of Public Health Studies, the Director of the Innovations in Qualitative Research Lab, and the Co-Director of the PlayLab at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia.