Lauren Christine Mims

Lauren Christine Mims, PhD, is a freedom dreaming researcher who studies the brilliance of Black children and their families in order to guide the development of new research, policies, practices, and narratives that both identify and ameliorate inequalities facing Black children and their families.

Dr. Mims is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and the Director and Principal Investigator of the Homeplace Research Collective. Her mixed-methods program of research draws from developmental psychology, education, and Black studies to explore how Black children and adolescents navigate and thrive amidst racism and discrimination. Her work centers the cultural assets, relationships, creative problem-solving, joy, and other forms of brilliance that children, families, and communities draw upon to support positive development.

Through the Homeplace Research Collective, Dr. Mims and her collaborators work alongside Black children, adolescents, caregivers, educators, and communities to freedom dream about more liberatory futures and use those dreams to develop research and interventions that support Black children’s learning, mental health, belonging, and wellbeing. Her current work includes research focused on Black girls’ mental health, Black familial joy, Black children’s learning and development, and the creation of psychologically safe spaces where Black youth can be affirmed, supported, and able to flourish.

Dr. Mims’ career has been devoted to creating spaces for Black children to tell their truths, whether that be on a big stage at the White House or at a small table in a school library or classroom. During the Obama Administration, she served as Assistant Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, where she focused on student programming, policymaking, strategic planning, youth voice, and federal interagency partnerships.

Dr. Mims earned her doctorate in Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science from the University of Virginia School of Education. She received a B.A. in English and Psychology from the University of Virginia and an M.A. in Child Development with a concentration in Clinical Developmental Health from Tufts University. She was named a 2024 Emerging Scholar by Diverse Issues in Higher Education, an honor recognizing scholars who represent “the very best of the U.S. academy.”