She came to Samford after serving as the Assistant Director of the TCU Institute of Child Development for six years. Amanda earned her B.A. from The Ohio State University with a major in Psychology, and then attended Texas Christian University for graduate study under the mentorship of Drs. David Cross and Karyn Purvis. She earned an M.S. in Experimental Psychology with an emphasis on Quantitative Analysis, and then earned a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology with an emphasis on Developmental Psychology. Her work integrates theory, research and practice in a concentrated effort to increase understanding of the interpersonal processes underlying mental health and quality of life for youth in the child welfare system. Amanda and her husband John have two sons, Elias (6) and Silas (5).