Krystal Cashen is a 2019-20 recipient of a $500 Dissertation Award and a PhD candidate in developmental science in the department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Under the mentorship of her advisor, Dr. Harold Grotevant, Krystal’s research broadly focuses on the experiences of young adults who grew up in adoptive and/or LGBTQ+ parented families. Her dissertation will examine the ways in which young adults with LGBQ+ parents/caregivers develop a sense of identity around their experiences and/or connection to the broader LGBT+ community and how these may serve as a source of resilience in the face of experiences of stigmatization.