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EDUCATION
Degree | Area of Study | University |
---|---|---|
Ph.D. | Special Education | Georgia State University |
M.Ed. | Special Education | Georgia State University Internship: Vanderbilt University Internship: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Southeast Division |
B.A. | Psychology with a minor in Health Education | Elon University |
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Graduate Certificates
Certificate in Advanced Education Leadership | Harvard Graduate School |
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AWARDS AND HONORS
Year | Award |
---|---|
2024 | President’s Mid Career Social Science Researcher Award, University of Alabama |
2023 | College of Education DEI Faculty Award, University of Alabama |
2022-2023 | Public Engagement Learning Community Fellow, University of Alabama |
2021 | School Psychology’s Article of the Year (McIntosh, et al, 2021) |
2020 | Blackmon-Moody Outstanding Faculty, University of Alabama |
2019 | Council for Exceptional Children-DR Distinguished Early Career |
2019 | President’s Faculty Research Award: Emerging Researcher, University of Alabama |
2015-2016 | APBS E. G. Carr Initial Researcher Award |
2014 | University of Alabama Research Summer Project Director |
2013 | Council for Exceptional Children Division of Research Early Career Workshop |
2012-2013 | University of Alabama Junior Investigators Program |
2010-2011 | Council for Exceptional Children Division of Research Scholars |
2010-2011 | Midwest Symposium on Leadership in Behavior Disorders Dissertation Award |
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HIGHLIGHTED PUBLICATIONS AND GRANTS
Research and publications:
- McDaniel, S. C., Bruhn, A. L. & Estrapala, S. E. (2024). Social, Emotional, Behavioral Supports in Schools. Guilford Publishing.
- Cohen, D., McDaniel, S. C., Lochman, J. L. (2024). Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Middle School Students with Aggression: Examining the Role of Pandemic Exposure and Perceived Discrimination. School Psychology.
- McDaniel, S. C., Mahatmya, D., & Bruhn, A. (2023). Educator Burnout in the Age of COVID-19: A Mediation Analysis of Perceived Stressors, Work Sense of Coherence, and Sociodemographic Characteristics. Teaching and Teacher Education
- *McDaniel, S. C., Coogler, C., & Guyotte, K. (2023). “It’s a Process”: Preliminary Stakeholder Perceptions of Tier 2 Implementation Barriers, Facilitators, and Attitudes. Journal of Applied School Psychology.
- McDaniel, S. C., Watkins, L., & Chow, J. (2023). 30 Years of Coping Power research: Systematic literature review of research quality and implementation and study variables. Journal of Applied School Psychology.
- Brady, L., McDaniel, S. C., & Choi, Y. (2022). Teacher Stress and Burnout: The Role of Psychological Work Resources and Implications for Practitioners. Psychology in the Schools, 60(6), 1706-1726
- McDaniel, S. C., Nese, R., Tomek, S. & Jiang, S. (2022). District-wide outcomes from bullying prevention programming embedded within schoolwide PBIS. Preventing School Failure
- McDaniel, S. C., Bardhoshi, G., Kivlinghan, D. M. (2022). Preliminary Evaluation of Open Circle Social Emotional Learning Program and the Open Circle Scales. School and Community Journal
- Bruhn, A. L., Choi, Y., McDaniel, S. C., Stephens, H, & Hirsch, S. (2022) Meeting the needs of students with emotional and behavioral disorders during the COVID-19 school closures. Behavioral Disorders (47), 4 10.1177/01987429211067472
- Harbour, K., McDaniel, S. C., & Preast, J. (2022). Integrating targeted academic and behavioral interventions for students with challenging behavior. Teaching Exceptional Children
- *McIntosh, K., Girvan, E. J., Fairbanks, S. Falcon, S., McDaniel, S. C., Smolkowski, K., Bastable, E., Santiago-Rosario, M. R., Izzard, S., Austin, S. C., Nese, R. N. T., & Baldy, T. S. (2021). Equity-focused PBIS approach reduces racial inequities in school discipline: A randomized controlled trial. School Psychology, 36(6), 433–444. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000466
Federal grants:
- McDaniel, S. C. (2023; CO-Investigator). Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach. National Institutes of Health (R01). $3,683,202. University of Oregon, Nese (PI)
- Mehari, K. (2022; PI of Subaward). Preventing Youth Violence Through Building Equitable Communities: An Evaluation of a Multisystemic Intervention National Institutes of Health, R01; NIMHD
- Gunn, H., Xia, M., Bolland, A., & McDaniel, S. C. (2022; Co-Investigator). Socioecological approach to school start times and sleep health disparities in underrepresented youth. National Institutes of Health, R15.
- McDaniel, S. C., Cohen, D., Watkins, L., Preast, J. & Banard-Brak, L. (2020) Project RIIPL (Rural, Interdisciplinary, Interconnected Practitioner-Leaders). (PI, Office of Special Education Programming, funded) $1,090,453.
- McDaniel, S. C., Lochman, J., Powell, N., McIntosh, K., Mercer, S. & LaSalle, T. (2019). Reducing Youth Violence and Racism/Discrimination: The Efficacy of Comprehensive Prevention Strategies (CPS). National Institutes of Health, R01 (PI, funded). $2,400,000.
- McIntosh, K., Girvan, E., Smolkowski, K., Nese, R., Falcon, S., & McDaniel, S. C. (2019). Project ReACT. Institute of Education Sciences, Goal 2 (Co-Investigator, funded).
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RESEARCH INTERESTS
Social, emotional, behavioral supports for all students
Classroom practice assessment and coaching for educators
Tier 2 Identification and Intervention framework
Prevention supports in schools, supporting educator well-being
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BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Sara McDaniel is a professor in the Department of Special Education at The University of Alabama and is the director of the Center for Interconnected Behavioral and Mental Health Systems (CIBMHS). The CIBMHS is a research center that engages in rigorous research in schools and focuses on supporting schools and districts in implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and school-based mental health services, as well as regular programing offered to the University of Alabama faculty, staff, and students. Dr. McDaniel conducts collaborative research and teaches in the areas of: (a) PBIS and multitiered systems of support, (b) positive classroom practices, (c) Systems, practices, and policies that improve equity and disproportionate discipline, and (d) practices to improve educator and student well-being in schools. Specifically, Dr. McDaniel examines implementation science and systems mechanisms across these research areas as well as the translation of research to practice and practice to research.