Dr. McKinney investigates the processes by which parenting is associated with psychological problems in the context of gender, parental psychopathology, maltreatment, and emerging adulthood.
In directing the Making Sense of Us Research Lab, Dr. McKinney dedicates himself to mentoring students. In acknowledgement of these efforts, Dr. McKinney won the Phil and Kari Oldham Outstanding Mentor Award from Mississippi State University, an award that Dr. McKinney attributes to his students. That is, the majority of graduate students under Dr. McKinney’s mentorship have been recognized with awards, funding, and/or positions from Mississippi State University, Psi Chi, the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP), St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and the American Psychological Association, among others. Since 2018, students have published over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles under Dr. McKinney’s mentorship, setting them up for success in obtaining career positions. To review any of these publications, please visit the ResearchGate link shown above.

Dr. McKinney is always excited to work with interested students, who should email him at cm998@msstate.edu.