Entries by Megyn Jasman

The Arc of Youth Mentoring in Relation to Family and Peer Bonds

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Fallavollita, W. L., & Lyons, M. D. (2026). Two years and counting: The dynamics of long‐term youth mentoring and association with parent and peer relationships. American Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.70073  Introduction As youth mental health challenges and shortages of mental health professionals continue to grow, programs like youth mentoring are under increasing pressure to […]

Funding Cuts, Career Fears, and the Mentors Who Navigate It All

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Ameling, J., Houchens, N., Quinn, M., Ehrlinger, R., & Saint, S. (2026). Research mentoring during times of crisis. JAMA Network Open, 9(4).. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.9229 Introduction Effective mentorship is widely understood as essential to career development in academic medicine — yet almost no empirical research addresses what exceptional mentors actually do when conditions become genuinely unstable. Ameling […]

Allies or Obstacles: Mentors and the Sociopolitical Development of Latinx Youth

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Join us for a session led by Dr. Wendy de los Reyes on how mentors and other nonparental adults can either fuel or hinder the sociopolitical development of Latinx immigrant-origin youth, and what that means for mentoring practice. Mentors, teachers, coaches, and other nonparental adults shape how Latinx immigrant-origin young people come to understand power, […]

Study Explores Case Managers’ Influence on Mentee-Mentor Match Outcomes

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Karcher, M. J., Sass, D. A., Herrera, C., DuBois, D. L., Heubach, J., & Grossman, J. B. (2023). Pathways by which case managers’ match support influences youth mentoring outcomes:Testing the systemic model of youth mentoring. Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23010 This study underscores the central role of case managers in shaping the quality and durability […]

To Bot or Not to Bot? How AI Companions Are Reshaping Human Services and Connection

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Reprinted from Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSRI) By Julia Freeland Fisher Jan. 21, 2025 Last year, a Harvard study on chatbots drew a startling conclusion: AI companions significantly reduce loneliness. The researchers found that “synthetic conversation partners,” or bots engineered to be caring and friendly, curbed loneliness on par with interacting with a fellow human. The study was silent, […]

The Yoda-Like Mentor Behind the Masters of Tap Dance

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Reprinted from the New York Times By Brian Seibert, July 15, 2024 As the top-shelf tap dancer Michelle Dorrance sees it, “Shift.,” the show that her company is debuting at the Joyce Theater this week, isn’t exactly a tribute to Gene Medler, her foremost teacher and mentor. “It’s not about him, it’s because of him,” she said after a […]

Flash Mentoring: An Innovative New Approach to Building Social Capital

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Convened annually by MENTOR during National Mentoring Month, the National Mentoring Summit is an opportunity for mentoring practitioners, researchers, philanthropic investors, youth leaders, government and civic leaders, and Affiliates from across the country to unite under the shared goal of driving positive change for young people. Attendees have the opportunity to learn from one another, […]

Social media, digital wellness, & mentoring

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​In an era dominated by digital connectivity, the impact of social media on youth has become a topic of intense scrutiny and debate. A comprehensive research brief by Kaufman, Deutsch, Hurd, and Fallavollita (2024) delves into the complex relationship between social media, digital wellness, and youth mentoring, offering a nuanced perspective on this pressing issue. […]

UVA Mindfulness Research for Students Is a ‘Game-Changer’

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By Audrey Breen, audreybreen@virginia.edu, September 23, 2024 Reprinted from UVAToday   James Payne, an elementary school student, took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “When you’re frustrated, when you’re having a bad day, just take some deep breaths and you’ll be good to go,” James said. He learned that lesson as a student at Semple Elementary […]