Dr. McQuillin studies how schools and communities can work together to promote emotional, behavioral, and academic wellness in children who are environmentally or developmentally at-risk. His work focuses on translating theories of child development to pragmatic prevention and intervention strategies. He is particularly interested in how and why relationships between young people and adult helpers (e.g. mentors) promote positive youth development. In this work, he hopes to improve the positive influence of these relationships by equipping helpers with skills and knowledge gleaned from research evidence.