EDUCATION

Ph.D. The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia.

M.S. The University of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York.

B.A. York University
Toronto, Ontario. Canada

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr. Stephens' research examines socio cultural factors shaping racial/ ethnic minority populations’ sexual health processes, with emphasis on gender and ethnic/ racial identity development. This work is conducted through the Heath Disparities and Cultural Identities Lab. Her current research examines the cross cultural development of sexual behaviors' meanings and their influence on sexual risk outcomes (including STI acquisition, intimate partner violence and HPV vaccine uptake). Through tracking of sexual life trajectories Dr. Stephens' research goal is to identify developmental factors promoting resilience and buffering negative sexual health outcomes.

For course information and sample syllabi click here

SELECT AWARDS

Blackboard Greenhouse Exemplary Course Award
Blackboard Inc. & Blackboard Learning Systems

Carolyn Payton Early Career Award
American Psychological Association- Division 35, Section 1

FIU Online Exemplary Course Award for Instructional Development
FIU Online Department

FIU Top Scholar Recognition
Office of the Provost

Jessie Bernard Outstanding Contribution to Feminist Scholarship
National Council on Family Relations

        

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

Stephens, D. P. & Thomas, T. L. (2013). Cultural values influencing immigrant Haitian mothers’ decision to vaccinate daughters’ against human papillomavirus (HPV). Journal of Black Psychology, 39, 156- 168.

Phillips, L. D., Reddik- Morgan, K., & Stephens, D. P.  (2010). Oppositional consciousness within an oppositional realm: The case of feminism and womanism in Hip Hop, 1976- 2004 (pp. 90- 112). In Huberta Jackson- Lowman (Ed.) Afrikan American Women: Living at the Crossroads of Race, Gender, Class and Culture. San Diego, CA: Cognella Academic Publishing. (Reprinted from Journal of African American History, 90, 19- 32).

Stephens, D. P. & Thomas, T. L. (2012). The influence of skin color on heterosexual emerging adult Black women’s dating preference beliefs. Journal Feminist Family Therapy, 24, 291- 315.

Stephens, D. P. & Fernandez, P. (2012). Ni pardo, ni prieto: The influence of parental skin color messaging on emerging adult Hispanic women’s dating beliefs. Women & Therapy: Special Issue on Latinas and Latin America, 35, 4- 18.

Stephens, D.P. & Fernandez, P. (2012). The Role of skin color on Hispanic women’s perceptions of attractiveness.  Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 34, 77- 94.

Stephens, D.P. (2012). The influence of mainstream Hip Hop’s female sexual scripts on African American women’s intimate relationship experiences. In M. Paludi (Ed.) The Psychology of Love. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger Publishing.

Stephens, D.P., Patil, V., & Thomas, T. L. (2012). STI prevention & control for women globally: A reproductive justice approach to understanding women’s experiences. In J. Chrisler (Ed.) Reproductive Justice: A Global Concern. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger Publishing.

Stephens, D. P., & Thomas, T. L. (2011). Hispanic women’s expectations of campus- based health clinics addressing sexual health concerns. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 6, 260- 280.

Thomas, T. L, Stephens D. P. & Blanchard, B. (2010). Hip Hop, Health and HPV:  Using wireless technology to increase Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Uptake. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 6, 464-470.

Thomas, T. L., & Stephens, D. P. (2009). Young women speak: Why we seek health care and what we need from our providers. Journal of the Florida Medical Association, 108, 18- 26.

Stephens, D.P., Phillips, L.D. & Few, A.L. (2009).  Examining African American female adolescent sexuality within mainstream Hip Hop culture using a womanist-ecological model of human development. In S. Loyd, A.L. Few and K. Allen (Eds.) Handbook of Feminist Theory, Methods and Praxis in Family Studies (pp. 160- 174). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Stephens, D. P., & Few, A. L. (2009). Hip Hop honeys or Video hos: African American preadolescents' understandings of popular culture-based female sexual scripts (pp. 36- 47). In M. Stombler, D. Baunach, E. Burgess, D. Donnelly, W. Simonds, & E. Windsor (Eds.) Sex Matters: The Sexuality and Society Reader 3rd Edition. New York: Allyn & Bacon. (Reprinted from Sexuality & Culture. 11, 48- 69).

Stephens, D. P. & Few, A. L. (2009). The effects of images of African American women in Hip Hop on early adolescents’ attitudes toward physical attractiveness and interpersonal relationships. (pp. 109- 131). In R. Plante & L. Maurer (Eds.) Doing Gender Diversity: Readings in Theory and Real-World Experience. New York: Perseus Academic Publishing. (Reprinted from Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 56, 251- 264).

Stephens, D. P., & Phillips, L. D. (2003). Freaks, gold diggers, divas, and dykes: The sociohistorical development of adolescent African American women’s sexual scripts. Sexuality & Culture, 7, 3- 47.

Few, A. L., Stephens, D. P., & Rouse- Arnette, M. T. (2003). Sister to sister talk: Transcending boundaries in qualitative research with Black women. Family Relations, 52, 205- 215.