About Us

The Team on Acculturation, Risk, and the Development of Identity and Self (TARDIS) at Old Dominion University (ODU) is directed by Dr. Alan Meca. TARDIS is focused on identity development across various domains (i.e., ethnic/racial, academic, military, and parental identity) and on the links between identity and psychosocial functioning (e.g., well-being, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, etc.), health risk behaviors (e.g., alcohol use, risk-sex taking behavior, etc.), and educational achievement. Findings from TARDIS have implications for interventions, education, and public policy.

Dr. Alan Meca, the Director of TARDIS, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Old Dominion University. Dr. Meca has developed an extensive network of colleagues from other institutions that is central to his work and the mission of TARDIS. This network serves as an important foundation for the research being conducted at TARDIS, as most of the research is typically multi-site and collaborative. For more information on active research projects, see Current Research.

  • TARDIS is currently NOT seeking undergraduate research assistants.
  • Dr. Meca and the TARDIS lab will be accepting applications to the PhD programs in Health Psychology (HP) and Clinical Psychology for Fall 2021.