TUYEN HUYNH, PH.D

Bridge to Faculty Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina (08/23- Present)

Completed Postdoctoral training program in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research in the Waisman Center (09/22-08/23) and Health disparities POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, School of Medicine and Public Health at the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON (2020-2022)

“We have to make the present moment into the most wonderful moment of our life. Our breath is the bridge that unites body and mind.”—Thich Nhat Hanh

My name is Tuyen Huynh. I was born in Vietnam but was raised in Philadelphia, PA. I am a first-Gen Scientist. I received my BA in Sociology from Penn State University and a M.S. and Ph.D in Human Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Research Interests

MY research focuses on enhancing proximal caregivers’ well-being through contemplative science (e.g., mindfulness; self-compassion) to promote positive child development and family resilience, and in turn, community well-being. My research program collaborates with community partners to ensure family-based prevention programs are culturally relevant to best serve families with young children, particularly from underserved communities. Specifically, My research program examines existing mindfulness-based programs for families with young children. These programs include equipping parents with feasible strategies to cultivate greater mindfulness, compassion for self and others, and empathy in family relationships. In collaboration with community partners, my work also uses iterative processes (e.g., focus groups) to co-adapt existing programs to meet the specific needs of families within the community, ensuring the long-term sustainability and the relevance of the program content and activities for families.

Fellowships & Scholarships

2019

Mind & Life Summer Research Institute Scholarship

Luella Selover Fellowship, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Graduate Student Travel Award, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2018-2019

Buffett Early Childhood Institute Graduate Scholars Fellowship Amount: $25,000

2016

North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Williams B. Stapp Scholarship

2014-2016

Chancellor Fellowship, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2014-2015

Margaret Fedde Fellowship, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Dorotha Pond Dunham Fellowship, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Kappa Omicron Nu-Zeta Alumni Fellowship, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2014

Offered the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in Thailand

2007-2011

Brook Lenfest Scholarship to Penn State University

Union League Scholarship to Penn State University

Funded Projects & Grants

Huynh, T. (Principal Investigator) & Duncan, L. G (Co-Investigator). Promoting Family Resilience: Examining Racial/Ethnic Minoritized Parents’ Reflective Capacities. University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, 2021-2022, $4,000 total costs [link]

Huynh, T. (Principal Investigator), Hatton-Bowers, H. (Co-I), Duncan, L. G. (Faculty Mentor). A Community-based Pilot Feasibility Study to Adapt the Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators + Families (CHIME+) Program to Build Resilience Among Minoritized Families. University of Wisconsin-Madison Prevention Research Center, 2021-2022, $26,505 total costs. [link]

Huynh, T. (Principal Investigator), Torquati, J. (Faculty Advisor), & Hatton-Bowers, H. (Faculty Mentor). Circle of Security Intervention Enhanced with Mindful Self-Compassion (COS-MSC): A Mixed Methods Study. Buffett Early Childhood Institute Graduate Scholars, 06/18-07/19, $25,000 total costs. [link]

Principal Investigator

2021-2022

“A Community-based Pilot Feasibility Study to Adapt the Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators + Families (CHIME+) Program to Build Resilience Among Minoritized Families.” University of Wisconsin-Madison

“Promoting Family Resilience: Examining Racial/Ethnic Minoritized Parents’ Reflective Capacities.” University of Wisconsin-Madison

2018-2020

“Circle of Security Intervention Enhanced with Mindful Self-Compassion (COS-MSC): A Mixed Methods Study,” University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2019-2020

“Examining the Relationship of Mindfulness and Preservice Teachers' Characteristics,” University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2016-2017

“Understanding the Roles of Connectedness to Nature, Mindfulness, and Stress Processes to Well-being,” University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2016

“Outdoor Adventure Educator’s Perception of Nature and Their Work: A Phenomenological Study,” University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE and Michigan 

2010

McNair Scholars Program, Pennsylvania State University

Research Assistant

2019-2020

“A Resource Toolkit To Support The Wellness Of Extension Employees Following A Natural Disaster,” University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2018-2019

Grant Proposal Support (GPS) Team, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2017-Present

“Low-Income Working Families’ Child Care Decision-Making: Giving Voice to Nebraska’s Rural Communities,” University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2017-2018

“Child Care and Youth Training & Technical Assistance Project (CYTTAP),” University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2016

Coder for the Children and Nature Network (C&NN)

2015-2016

“Young Children’s Thoughts & Feelings About Nature & Friends,” University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Research Honors & Awards

2018

College of Education and Human Sciences Graduate Student Research and Creativity Award

Publications

Duncan, L. G., Zhang, N., Santana, T., Cook, J.G., Castro-Smith, L., Hutchison., Huynh, T., Mallareddy, D., Jurkiewicz, L., & Bardacke, N., (2023). Enhancing prenatal group medical visits with mindfulness skills: A pragmatic trial with Latina and BIPOC pregnant women experiencing multiple forms of structural inequity. Mindfulness. [article]

Huynh, T., Boise, C., Kihntopf, M.E.*, Schaefer, A. A.*, & Schafer, M.* (2023). “Fear and anxiety is what I recall the best.": A phenomenological examination of mothers’ pregnancy experiences during COVID-19 in the United States. Midwifery. [article]

Greenlee, J., Hickey, E., Stelter, C., Huynh, T., Hartley, S., (2023). Profiles of the Parenting Experience in Families of Autistic Children. Austism. [article]

Huynh, T., & Brock, R. L., Phillips, E., (2021). Self-compassion mediates the link between attachment and intimate relationship quality during pregnancy. Family Relations. [Article]

Kerr, M. L., Fanning, K. A., Huynh, T., Kim, C., & Botto, I. (2021). Parents’ self-reported psychological impacts of COVID on parental burnout and child wellbeing. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. [article]

Huynh, T., & Torquati, J., (2019). “Examining Connection to Nature and Mindfulness at Promoting Psychological Well-being,” Journal of Environmental Psychology. [Article]

Hatton-Bowers, H., Howell Smith, M., Huynh, T., Bash, K., Durden, T., Anthony, C., Foged, J., & Lodl, K., (2019). “‘I will be less judgmental, more kind, more aware, and resilient!”: Early childhood professionals’ learnings from an online mindfulness module,” Early Childhood Education Journal. [Article]

Huynh, T., Hatton-Bowers, H., & Howell Smith, M., (2018). “A critical methodological review of mixed methods designs used in mindfulness research,” Mindfulness, 10, 786-798. [Article]

Huynh, T., & Torquati, J., (2018). “Outdoor adventure instructors’ perceptions of nature and their work: A phenomenological study,” Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning, 19(3), 269-282. [Article]

Research Briefs

Hatton-Bowers, H., Huynh, T., Howell-Smith, M., Bash, K., Durden, T., Anthony, C., Lodl, K., & Crandall, L., (2018). Mindful practice for ECE professional: Begin the journey. Research Brief. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. [article]

Durden, T., Hatton-Bowers, H., Mincemoyer, C., Anthony, C. Lodl, K., Crandall, L., Howell-Smith, M., Huynh, T., & Bash, K. (2018). Safety first! Lessons learned from an online infant sleep training module. Research Brief. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. [article]

In-Preparation

Huynh, T., Hatton-Bowers, H., & Duncan, L. G., (Invited Submission for Mindfulness Special Issue). Lessons learned from the field: Developing, refining, and implementing three community-focused mindfulness-related programs across diverse settings. To be submitted to Mindfulness (Special Issue).

Huynh, T. & Torquati, J., (Invited Submission for the European Society of Medicine Special Issue). Connection to nature improves psychological well-being: The mediating roles of mindfulness and spirituality. To be submitted for the special issue entitled New Perspectives on Psychology.

Huynh, T., Greenlee, J., Putney, J., Piro-Gambetti, B., & Hartley, S. (In-preparation). The impacts of couples dyadic coping for parent-child relationship quality in parents of children with autism. To be submitted to Family Relations.

Huynh, T., Boise, C., Kihntopf, M.E., Schaefer, A. A., & Schafer, M. (In-preparation). A comprehensive Scoping Review of the circle of Security Programs.

Under Review

Huynh, T., Kerr, M., Kim, C., Fourianalistyawati, E., Chang, V., & Duncan, L. G., (REsubmission). “Mapping the evidence mindful parenting and parental reflective functioning in parenting: A scoping review,” Mindfulness.

Huynh, T., Hatton-Bowers, H., & Torquati, J., (resubmission). Enhancing the Circle of Security-Parenting program with self-compassion to improve parent well-being: A mixed methods study. Submitted to Journal of Child & Family Studies.

Professional Presentations

Huynh, T., Greenlee, J., Putney, J., Piro-Gambetti, B., & Hartley, S.L., (2023). Family systems research approaches in families of children with developmental disabilities. In Williams, C.A. (Chair) and Hartley, S. L. (Discussant), The Impacts of Couples Dyadic Coping for Parent-child Relationship Quality in Parents of Children with Autism. Symposium conducted at the Gatlinburg Conference Biennial Meeting, Kansas City, MI, April 11-13.

Hatton-Bowers, H., & Huynh, T., (2022, October). Adapting a Compassion-Based Mindfulness Program to be Culturally Responsive for Educators and Families with Community-Based Para. Presenter at the Prevention Research Center Virtual Annual Meeting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Huynh, T. & Hatton-Bowers, H., (2022, April). A Community-based Pilot Feasibility Study to Adapt the Cultivating Health Intentional Mindful Educators + Families (CHIME+) Program to Build Resilience Among Minoritized Families. Panelist at the Mindfulness and Parenting Virtual Conference.

Kerr, M, Huynh, T., Yoon, J., & Nassar, N.A., (2021, April). Parental Burnout During COVID- 10: Balancing New Risks and Resources. Paper presentation accepted for presentation at the Society for Research in Child Development Conference, Virtual

Huynh, T., Torquati, J., & Hatton-Bowers, H., (2021, June). Circle of Security Intervention Enhanced with Mindful Self-Compassion (COS-MSC): A Mixed Methods Study. Poster presentation accepted for presentation at the World Association of Infant Mental Health Conference, Brisbane, AU. Virtual.

Huynh, T., (2019, June). “Circle of Security Intervention Enhanced with Mindful Self-Compassion (COS-MSC): A Mixed Methods Study.” Poster presentation at the Mind and Life Summer Research Institute, Garrison, NY.

Huynh, T., (2019, May). “Circle of Security Intervention Enhanced with Mindful Self-Compassion (COS-MSC): A Mixed Methods Study.” Poster presentation at the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) Biennial Conference, Ann Arbor, MI.

Hatton-Bowers, H., Durden, T., Howell Smith, M., Bash, K., Huynh, T., Anthony, K., Lodl, K., & Crandall, L., (2018, November). “I will be less judgmental, more kind, more aware and resilient to stress!”: Using Online Professional Development Learning to Enhance the Well-being of Early Childhood Educators. Poster presentation at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Washington, D.C.

Hatton-Bowers, H., Hong, S.-Y., Cruickshank, K., Roberts, S., Huynh, T., Shin, H., Yao, Y., Werth, L., Vonderohe, R., Guzman, J., & Sherry, L. (2018, June). Childcare Decision Making Among Rural Low-Income Working Women: How Their Beliefs and Needs for Care Change Over Time. Poster presentation at the National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC), Arlington, VA.

Huynh, T. (2018, May). Understanding the Roles of Connectedness to Nature, Mindfulness, and Stress Processes to Well-being. Poster presentation at the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, CA.

Cruickshank, K., Hatton-Bowers, H., Shin, H., Hong, S.-Y., Yao, Y., Huynh, T., Roberts, S., Werth, L., & Guzman, J. (2018, April). Examining Working Pregnant Women’s Needs for Child Care in Nebraska. Poster presentation at Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS) Summit on Research in Early Childhood, Lincoln, NE. 

Huynh, T. (2017, April). A Systematic Review of Mixed Methods Designs Used in Mindfulness Research: 2006-2016. Poster presentation at the biannual meeting of the Mindful Families, School, and Communities: Contemplative Practices to Promote Child and Family Well-being Conference, Seattle, WA.

Huynh, T. (2016, November). Interactive Pedagogy or Promoting Sustainability. Roundtable presentation at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Conference, Minneapolis, MN.

Huynh, T. (2016, October). Outdoor Adventure Educators’ Perception of Nature and Their Work: A Phenomenological Study.  Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Conference, Madison, WI.

Huynh, T. (2015, Fall). Mediating Effects of Mindfulness on the Relationship Between Connection to Nature and Psychological Well-Being. Poster presentation at the College of Education & Human Sciences Research & Creative Activity Fair, Lincoln, NE.

MEdia

Buffett Institute award supports Husker’s research into mindfulness

Mindfulness study includes CYFS faculty member, affiliate