Dr. Risco is currently an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Maryland-College Park jointly appointed with the First-Year Innovation & Research Experience (FIRE) program in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost and the Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory in the Department of Psychology. Dr. Risco operates the FIRE Stream in Addiction Science, which provides a multi-semester research and mentorship experience to first-year students through faculty-led research projects. Her research aims to address racial/ethnic disparities in health by identifying socio-cultural contributors to the emergence of substance use and other health-related risk behavior. Dr. Risco’s postdoctoral training and research has been funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She received her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Maryland-College Park and completed her undergraduate studies in psychology and sociology at the University of Florida. 

Selected Publications

Fix, R. L., Risco, C. M., Fix, S. T., & Bernat, E. M. (2021). How racial identity and worry about discrimination impact coping responses to racial discrimination among Black American community members. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 1-14.

Risco, C. M., O’Brien, K. M., Grivel, M. M., & Castro, J. E. (2019). A meta-analysis of the correlates of educational and vocational goals for Latina/o students. Journal of Career Assessment, 27, 29-46. doi: 10.1177/1069072717723091

Risco, C. M., Collado, A. D., Reynolds, E. K., Lejuez, C. W., & MacPherson, L. (2016). Evaluation of the Environmental Supports Scale with a community sample of adolescents. Prevention Science, 17, 493-502. doi: 10.1007/s11121-016-0637-4

Risco, C. M., & Duffy, R. D. (2011). A career decision-making profile of Latina/o incoming college students. Journal of Career Development, 38, 237-255. doi: 10.1177/0894845310365852

Selected Grants

Racial Discrimination and Risk Behavior among African American Young Adults

• Role: Principal Investigator; Carl W. Lejuez (Co-I), Derek Iwamoto (Co-I)
• Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Type and Number: R03 DA035878-01
• Period: 6/1/2014 - 4/30/2017

Socio-cultural Determinants of Health-related Risk Behavior
NIHLoan Repayment Program Award

• Role: Principal Investigator; Carl W. Lejuez and Laura MacPherson (Research Mentors)
• Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Period: 8/1/2014 - 8/31/2017

Behavioral Technologies for Predicting HIV Risk
Diversity Supplement under R01-DA018647-08

• Role: Principal Investigator on Supplement; Carl W. Lejuez (PI on Parent Grant)
• Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Type and Number: R01-DA018647-08-S1
• Period: 5/1/2012 - 4/30/2017

Examining Minority Stress and Mental Health
RPG Underrepresented Minority Research Supplement under R03-MH06825501

• Role: Supplement Awardee; Bonnie Moradi (PI on Parent Grant)
• Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Period: 8/31/2004 - 9/1/2005

Courses Taught

·         First-Year Innovation & Research Experience (FIRE 120)

·         First-Year Innovation & Research Experience: Addiction Science (FIRE 157/198, FIRE 257/298)

·         The Assessment and Treatment of Addictive Behaviors (PSYC 437)

·         Counseling Psychology: Theories, Research, and Practice (PSYC 432)

·         Psychology of Human Sexuality (PSYC 332)

·         Basic Helping Skills: Research and Practice(PSYC 433: lab instructor)

·         Career Development Theory and Programs (EDCP 611)