Renowned developmental scientist Dr. Velma McBride Murry will deliver this year’s distinguished lecture honoring the legacy of Arnold J. Sameroff. The keynote will highlight the enduring influence of Sameroff’s transactional model of development, which transformed the field of developmental psychology by demonstrating that children and their environments shape one another through ongoing, dynamic exchanges. Drawing from her landmark longitudinal research with African American families—including the Strong African American Families (SAAF) and Pathways for African Americans Success (PAAS) programs—McBride Murry will illustrate how culturally grounded, community-partnered, family-centered interventions bring transactional theory into practice. Her work shows that strengthening parenting, racial socialization, and family processes can reduce risk behaviors, promote resilience, and improve long-term developmental and health outcomes for youth during critical developmental periods. This lecture celebrates Sameroff’s theoretical vision while showcasing how Murry’s translational research carries that legacy forward—advancing equity, prevention science, and the next generation of developmental scholarship.

The talk will be followed by a reception with light refreshments