UNM educational psychologist awarded early career grant

As a middle school student, Shengjie Lin vividly remembers the frustration of failing a math exam. Discouraged, he wondered if math simply "wasn't his thing." His parents, however, responded with encouragement rather than criticism. They urged him to try new strategies, reminding him that ability grows with effort and the right support.

"Looking back, I now recognize that what they modeled was growth mindset behavior," Lin said. "At the time, I didn't know the term - but their encouragement to keep trying with new strategies helped me reframe how I thought about myself as a learner. That experience shaped my passion for educational psychology."

Today, Lin is an assistant professor of educational psychology at The University of New Mexico College of Education & Human Sciences (COEHS). He was recently awarded an early career grant from the American Psychological Association's Division 15 (Educational Psychology) to advance research on parents' mindset behaviors and their roles in shaping children's motivation and success in math.

Studying Behaviors, Not Just Beliefs

Much of the research on growth versus fixed mindsets has centered on beliefs - whether students see intelligence as malleable or as fixed. Lin's project focuses instead on behaviors, which he argues are more observable and measurable.

"Students do not live in isolation. They are surrounded by socializers - parents, teachers, siblings, peers," Lin explained. "I want to understand how parents' behaviors communicate their mindset beliefs, and how those behaviors can help adolescents persist through academic challenges."

His study, conducted in partnership with Albuquerque Public Schools, will begin with parent focus groups to identify behaviors that signal mindset beliefs. Lin also plans to develop a scale for future researchers to measure these behaviors.

A Supportive Environment for Early-Career Research

Now in his second year at UNM, Lin credits the College of Education & Human Sciences for providing essential mentorship and resources as he pursued this competitive grant.

"From the very beginning, I felt supported here," Lin said. "Dr. Cari Hushman helped me explore research opportunities at UNM, take practical steps and connected me with staff who guided me through the grant application process. Dr. Jay Parkes reminded me that pursuing grants is a process, which gave me the encouragement to keep going."

That culture of support is something COEHS leadership emphasizes.

"Dr. Lin's work exemplifies the kind of innovation we want to foster in our faculty," said Jay Parkes, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Student Success. "By investigating the role of families and communities in shaping learning mindsets, his research has the potential to impact both scholarship and practice in New Mexico and beyond."

Carolyn (Cari) Hushman, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Distance Education, agreed, noting that Lin's work aligns closely with the college's mission.

"At COEHS, we are deeply committed to supporting early-career faculty so they can pursue bold, community-focused research," Hushman said. "Dr. Lin's project speaks to our values of equity and access, and we are proud to see him receive national recognition from APA."

Building Toward Broader Impact

Lin hopes the insights from his study will eventually help families cultivate growth mindset cultures in practical, everyday ways. He is particularly motivated by the potential impact on math education in New Mexico, where he sees a need to support more students entering STEM fields, both at high school and college levels

"Math is often treated as a gatekeeper subject," Lin said. "I want to show how parents and families can make a difference by encouraging effort, strategy, and persistence - helping students see themselves not as 'math people' or 'not math people,' but as learners who can grow."

About Dr. Shengjie Lin

Lin earned his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) where he also received training in Demography from UT's Population Research Center. He then conducted postdoctoral research at Yale University's Center for Emotional Intelligence.

Now at UNM, Lin integrates his background in motivation, emotion and creativity to study how parents and teachers can create supportive environments for students' learning in STEM. With the APA early career grant, UNM's COEHS continues to demonstrate how faculty research can both advance educational psychology and strengthen the learning experiences of students across New Mexico.

Partnering for Greater Impact

The Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) and COEHS have partnered to engage in a collaborative research project investigating the impact of APS's strategic plan, with the shared goal of advancing student success and strengthening educational outcomes across the district. This partnership leverages the expertise of COEHS faculty in research to provide APS with evidence-based insights into the impact of its strategic priorities.

Together, APS and COEHS are working to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities within the plan, ensuring that decisions are informed by data and grounded in best practices. This collaboration not only supports APS in achieving its mission but also creates meaningful opportunities for COEHS faculty to contribute research expertise to the improvement of K-12 education in the community.