Ben Oosterhoff, PhD

Ben is a developmental psychologist and applied statistician who specializes in understanding how normative (e.g., belongingness) and non-normative experiences (e.g., maltreatment, trauma, and loss) intersect with childhood adjustment, civic engagement, and positive wellbeing. He provides theoretical, methodological, and analytic research support for projects focused on childhood trauma and grief and uses cutting-edge statistical techniques to examine how these experiences influence adjustment over time.

Ben has published widely on the topics of positive youth development, childhood trauma, and grief, with over 70 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. He has conducted research funded by the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation, SAMSHA, the New York Life Foundation, UNICEF, the Spencer Foundation, and the John Templeton Foundation. In his role at the TAG Center, Ben is responsible for overseeing data capture systems and technology, data analysis, and program evaluation across the TAG Center’s various projects, including large scale data collection on a national level. He also works closely with Lauren Alvis, Director of Research, on grant-writing and publishing TAG Center findings.

Ben received his BA in Psychology from Michigan State University and his PhD in Developmental Psychology from West Virginia University. He completed his postdoctoral training in childhood trauma and grief at The University of Texas Health Science Center under Dr. Kaplow and served as an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and Montana State University.