Maria Katsikathas

Biography

Maria Katsikathas is a doctoral student in the Human Development area within the Department of Educational Psychology. She is a member of the Peer Relationships, Ethnicity, Schools, and Media lab with Dr. Amy Bellmore.

Maria received her BS in Psychology with minors in data science and Spanish from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. While working with a peer mentor-based restorative justice program for at-risk youth, Salt Lake Peer Court, she became fascinated by the ways peers influence each other in different aspects of their lives. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research on students’ engagement and self-efficacy in online learning settings due to the COVID-19 pandemic and whether individuals’ social media use and coping
styles are associated with mental health risks.

Maria is interested in examining adolescent peer relationships and educational outcomes through a sociocultural lens. She hopes her research will contribute to a deeper understanding of how teens’ social relationships and educational experiences, both in school and social media contexts, influence their social and emotional development.

Education                                                                                                                           

BS Psychology, Westminster College – Salt Lake City, 2022

Presentations

Katsikathas, M. A. (2022, April). Student engagement in synchronous online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paper presented at the Westminster College Student Showcase, Salt    Lake City, UT.

Katsikathas, M. A. (2022, April). Restorative justice practices and peer mentoring relationships within Salt Lake Peer Court. Paper presented at the Westminster College Student Showcase, Salt Lake. City, UT.

Katsikathas, M. A. & Amburgey, J. W. (2022, April). Coping, social media, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual poster presented at the Westminster College Student Showcase, Salt Lake City, UT.

Katsikathas, M.A. (2022, April). Student engagement in synchronous online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster presented at the annual Rocky Mountain Psychological Association (RMPA) Convention, Salt Lake City, UT.

Katsikathas, M.A & Amburgey, J. W. (2022, April). Coping, social media, and mental health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster presented at the annual Rocky Mountain Psychological Association (RMPA) Convention, Salt Lake City, UT.

Katsikathas, M.A. & Amburgey, J. W. (2022, February). Coping, social media, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual poster presented at the 16ᵗʰ Annual Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research (UCUR), Dixie State University, St. George, UT.

Katsikathas, M.A. & Amburgey, J.W. (2021, September). Coping, social media, and mental health during the Paper presented at the Westminster College Summer Undergraduate Research Program Geek Fest 2021, Salt Lake City, UT.