Briana Hinga

Ph.D. Student
Department of Education

Email: bhinga@uci.edu

Biography

Briana M. Hinga is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Education at the University of California, Irvine, specializing in Learning, Cognition, and Development. Briana’s research focuses on learning as the intersection between contextual and cognitive factors both within and outside classrooms. 

Briana graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 2006, with a B.A. in psychology. As a senior, Briana’s honor’s thesis compared visual development in premature and full term infants, with an aim of understanding how the environment shapes the natural development of vision. Upon graduating, Briana accepted a research position with the San Diego Prospective study, a longitudinal study investigating genetic and environmental risks of alcoholism. She also worked with the San Diego Public Library System as an adult literacy tutor. These projects sparked Briana’s desire to understand internal and environmental aspects of human development, with a focus on early learning as a means to create positive opportunities for individuals.

As a student in the Department of Education, Briana has continued to pursue her interests in understanding contextual factors of human development and learning through a variety of research projects. Briana currently works under the guidance of Michael E. Martinez and Rossella Santagata. Briana’s career goals include university level research and instruction as well as community outreach.

Briana moved to Irvine from San Diego in 2008 and had previously lived in Santa Cruz. Briana’s other interests include spending time with family and friends and enjoying outdoor activities, including beach activities, especially beach volleyball.

Publications

Hinga, B.M., & Mahoney, J.L. (2010) Preparing the next generation of after-school educators: College students' perceived learning and civic engagement associated with the CASE program. Journal of Youth Development. In Press.

Mahoney, J.L., Levine, M., & Hinga, B.M. (2010). The development of after-school program educators through university-community partnerships. Applied Developmental Science.

Schuckit, M.A., Smith, T.L., Trim, R., Kreikebaum, S., Hinga, B., & Allen, R. (2008). Testing the level of response to alcohol-based model of heavy drinking and alcohol problems in the offspring from the San Diego Prospective Study. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 69(4): 571-579 .

Schuckit, M.A., Danko, G.P., Smith, T.L., Bierut, L.J., Bucholz, K.K., Edenberg, H.J., Hesselbrock, V., Kramer, J., Nurnberger, J., Allen, R., Kreikebaum, S., & Hinga, B. (2008). The prognostic implications of DSM-IV abuse criteria in adolescents. Drug Alcohol Dependence, 97(1-2):94-104.

Bosworth, R.G., Hinga, B., Robbins, S.L., & Dobkins, K.R. (2006). Longitudinal study of chromatic and luminance contrast sensitivity in full-term and pre-term infants. Journal of Vision, 6(6):287a.

Presentations

Mahoney, J. L., Parente, M. E., Sheppard, A., & Hinga, B. M. (March, 2010). Summer arrangements, parental knowledge, and adolescent social development. In J. L. Mahoney(Chair), Parenting, out-of-school time, and youth development. Symposium paper presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence biennial meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

Hinga, B. M. ,& Mahoney, J.L. (April 2010). Student experiences in the Certificate in After-school Education program. Engage UCI Symposium, Irvine.

Hinga, B.M., & Mahoney, J.L. (April 2010). Student experiences in the Certificate in After-school Education program. American Educational Research Association, Denver.

Mahoney, J. L., Johnston, J., Hinga, B., & Shepard, A. (April 2009). University of California, Irvine Certificate in After-school Education. Presentation at the UC Links Statewide Conference, San Diego.

Smith, T.L., Schuckit, M.A., Kalmijn, J., Danko, G., Pierson, J., Allen, R., Kriekebaum, S., Hinga, B., & Iba, K. (January 2007). Characteristics associated with drinking in offspring from the San Diego Prospective Study. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, Chicago.

Hinga, B., Bosworth, R.G., & Dobkins, K. (May 2006). Luminance and chromatic contrast sensitivity in fullterm and preterm infants. Poster presented at the UCSD Psychology Honors Colloquium