Dr. Welsh received her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Massachusetts in 1992. She is currently a professor and head of the Department of Psychology.
Deb Welsh’s current research focuses on understanding adolescent relationships and their impact on adolescent functioning. Specifically, her research is focused on (1) understanding the development of adolescents’ and emerging adults’ romantic relationships (2) understanding relationship-related factors that are associated with the successful transition to college, and (3) understanding processes underlying the transition to retirement. She is interested in the nature of romantic relationships in adolescence and early adulthood as well as in the transition to retirement, how contextual and personal variables impact romantic relationships, and how romantic relationships impact individual functioning in adolescence, early adulthood, and in late adulthood.
When she is not working, Deb enjoys hiking, running (slowly!), cooking, birding, yoga, and travelling. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, Chris, her adult children, Rachel, Ben, and Rachel’s husband, Tor and her two dogs, Rue and Remy.