Alexandra Rush

ABOUT ME

My goal is to inspire a love of learning and sense of purpose in my students as they pursue their studies and career aspirations. I teach courses in the disciplines of Psychology and Human Development, and also collaborate with the Institute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation at Montclair State University where I received my Ph.D. in Family Science and Human Development.

As a developmental scientist, I approach my work through the lens of a relational developmental systems perspective which views human development as driven by dynamic and reciprocal person ↔ context relations over the lifespan. I’m especially interested in social contexts that promote youth purpose and character virtue development, and how people transform adversity and traumatic experiences to create purposeful lives.  

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Purpose; posttraumatic growth; family resilience; intergenerational trauma, including the effects of the Nazi and Soviet regimes on Poles and their descendants.

PUBLICATIONS & SCHOLARSHIP

Refereed Journal Articles

Rush, A., Urban, J. B., Davis, W. J., & Linver, M. R. (2022). Exploring pathways to purpose in scouts. Journal of Adolescent Research. 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584221091488

Rush, A. (2020). Exploring trauma, loss, and posttraumatic growth in Poles who survived the Nazi Era (1939-1945) and their descendants. The Polish Review, 65, 42-56. https://doi.org/10.5406/polishreview.65.3.0042

Davis, W. J., Rush, A., Tevington, P., Urban, J. B., & Linver, M. R. (2020). Online trainings for non-formal educators: A case study of Boy Scouts of America leaders. The American Journal of Distance Education. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1819745

Scholarship in Progress

Rush, A., Kochis, O., Belanger, B., Urban, J. B., & Linver, M. R. (2024). Navigating The Tides of Change: Girls’ Experiences in Scouts BSA [Manuscript in preparation]. Empire State University, NY.