Meghan Gangel

Biography

Dr. Gangel joined as faculty at WCU in 2022. Previously, she taught at University of North Carolina Greensboro where she completed her PhD in Developmental Psychology. She also taught and conducted research at Wake Forest University for several years before coming to WCU. She is the coordinator for the Psychology Research Participant Pool (SONA). Dr. Gangel enjoys both teaching and conducting research on the development of health in adolescent and emerging adulthood.

Education

• Ph D, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Teaching Interests

Dr. Gangel is dedicated to teaching and mentoring students. She teaches Development II: Adolescence and Development III: Adulthood, Research Design and Data Analysis I/II, Health Psychology, and General Psychology. She also leads an active team of student researchers in the Health Psychology lab (HEAAL) and encourages any interested students to contact her about opportunities to work, volunteer, or conduct projects.<br><br><b>Dr. Gangel is currently accepting graduate students in the SSP, MS, and PsyD program as well as undergraduate research assistants. </b><b>If you are interested in adolescent and emerging adult health development please apply.</b>

Research Interests

Dr. Gangel collaborates in the Health Psychology lab with Dr. Courtney Rogers, and heads the <b>H</b>ealthy <b>E</b>merging <b>A</b>dults and <b>A</b>dolescents <b>L</b>ab (HEAAL). Using a biopsychosocial approach, Dr. Gangel identifies and examines how psychosocial predictors (such as weight stigmatization and peer relationships) relate to health behaviors and physiological and psychological health outcomes in adolescence and emerging adulthood. <br><br><b>HEAAL's current projects:</b><br> - the links between pubertal timing and well-being, <br>- weight stigmatization, weight based behaviors, and physiological health in college students,<br>- digital dating behaviors in emerging adulthood, <br>- predictors of pubertal timing, peer based behavior and social media use in adolescence, <br>- spirituality in adolescence<br>- weight stigmatization and peer based behaviors in middle schoolers<br>- perspectives of weight loss medications in emerging adulthood