This month, we are pleased to introduce Dr. Carlomagno C. Panlilio (panlilio@psu.edu), Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education at the Pennsylvania State University.
- Can you write a couple sentences on some aspect of your career development: feel free to pick one or any other related question among these: a) what drew you to do work on Asians, Asian American children and youth, or another topic that is important to you now? b) who was an important mentor to you in this work, or an influential particular study in the field or in a related field? c) any particular advice or tips to someone starting out in the field who is doing work in your area?
My area of research looks at the developmental sequelae of adverse events, particularly maltreatment, and its impact on later academic outcomes in children who are involved with the child welfare system. I am particularly interested in understanding what malleable mechanisms in this relationship (e.g., emotion regulation, attention, metacognition, motivation, engagement) lend themselves as potential targets of trauma-informed education interventions.
I was drawn to this area of research given my clinical experience practicing as a family therapist in community and foster agencies working closely with child welfare agencies and schools. During that time, I found that clinical practice models that applied to this vulnerable group of children were quite limited. Trauma-Focused CBT was gaining traction in the clinical area but as I worked closely with teachers, the availability of education-based supports was lagging behind.
My decision to pursue a doctoral degree in developmental science, and subsequently go into academia, was heavily influenced by my advisor, mentor, and friend, Dr. Brenda Jones Harden. Her trajectory and area of research were so closely tied to what I was looking for, especially in terms of finding out ways to try and move the needle at a macro level and give back to the community.
- A short paragraph describing a particular recent finding, current study, or recent publication and what makes you excited about it. Feel free to describe its importance from any one or more of these lenses: a) research contribution; b) our knowledge about Asian or Asian American populations; c) our knowledge about other [understudied?] populations; d) practice or policy relevance.
I am excited about a recently published special issue that my amazing colleagues and I guest edited. The collection of papers in the Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect special issue, Learning in the Context of Adversity (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/child-abuse-and-neglect/vol/142/part/P1), attempts to broaden our understanding of how experiences of early adversity influence children’s learning and development. Specifically, we proposed a framework that might provide guidance on how we might conceptualize multiple developmental trajectories leading to academic outcomes for children exposed to adversity and how to develop adversity-informed prevention and intervention strategies that account for such variability.
Of particular importance in this collection of work is the need to bring together a community-oriented and transdisciplinary approach to address the complexity inherent in the developmental sequelae of adversity. Contributing authors provided guidance on expanding learning processes and outcomes of interest beyond the traditional indicators of GPA and standardized tests to include reading comprehension, language, and early math skills to name a few. There was also a recommendation to shift from the term “trauma-informed” to “adversity-informed” in order to account for a more nuanced understanding of how adversity impacts children and families, which includes making space for strength and resilience.
Although the work is not directly related to Asians or Asian American populations, the special issue’s push to examine the complexity of learning and development in the context of adversity can provide a model to ensure that we acknowledge many of the differences in developmental trajectories inherent in different populations. These differences are neither good nor bad, but adaptive where consequences may vary by context that necessitates a better understanding of developmental trajectories that require nuanced systems of support.
As an immigrant to the United States from the Philippines, I experienced many of these necessary shifts in perspective and understanding given the complexities of navigating different worlds, the country of origin and the host country. There is no singular pathway to our goals, thus it is important to acknowledge and value such variability that should be woven into how we frame our research questions and how we translate such findings into policy and practice.
- Your reflections on your interactions with the Asian Caucus would be highly appreciated. Please feel free to share your thoughts, whether it’s a simple message for the Caucus community or more.
The Asian Caucus has been such a wonderful community for me by providing a venue in which we could come together and find support and collegiality in the field of developmental science. Learning about the work of others in the field has been exciting for me, and I often look forward to reading these spotlights and learn about what other members of the Asian Caucus are doing.
- Any upcoming talks or presentations we should know about?
I will be presenting in a live webinar on April 10, 2025, for the University of Illinois OneOp professional development program (https://oneop.org/upcoming-webinars/). The session will focus on helping education professionals understand how to disentangle the academic and socioemotional challenges that students in classrooms may face as a result of developmental delay/disability, traumatic stress, or both.
- What is your preferred contact email?
- A weblink you prefer to share?