Naomi Duran is a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from UC Davis in 2017, and her M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from UIUC in 2021. Her research focuses on the effects of the neighborhood and school contexts on child and adolescent development. She is currently investigating how disadvantaged neighborhoods characterized by high poverty, crime, and segregation impact youths’ ability to develop positive peer relationships and a sense of belonging in school. She is particularly interested in studying how schools serve as a key site for socialization and how providing opportunities to foster positive peer connections may boost youth’s attachment to school, and consequently, increase their chances of academic success. She hopes her research will help inform education policy aimed at improving the experiences of marginalized and economically disadvantaged youth in school.