Bonnie K. Nastasi, Ph.D.

Bonnie Kaul Nastasi, Ph.D., (Kent State University, 1986) is Professor of Psychology and Co-Director of the Trauma Specialization in the School Psychology PhD Program at Tulane University. Dr. Nastasi has engaged in mixed methods research and development (R&D) to inform culturally relevant assessment and intervention approaches for promoting psychological well-being and reducing health risks, within the US and internationally. From 1995-2015, she conducted projects in Sri Lanka on school-based programming to promote psychological well-being. From 2002-2013, she was a co-principal investigator of interdisciplinary public health research programs to prevent STIs among married men and women in the slums of Mumbai, India. She has engaged locally in R&D for school-based mental health programming in New Orleans, LA. From 2008-2013, she directed a 12-country research collaboration to study psychological well-being of children and adolescents. Currently, she is a lead investigator of an international collaborative study of teacher well-being. Dr. Nastasi is active in international promotion of child rights in School Psychology. She is Past-President of International School Psychology Association, Past-President of American Psychological Association (APA) Division 16, and Past Council Representative for Division 16. She received the 2019 Senior Scientist Award from APA’s Division 16, and 2023 Distinguished Services Award from ISPA.  

Selected Publications

Hitchcock, J., & Nastasi, B. K. (2011). Mixed methods for construct validation. In P. Vogt & M. Williams (Eds.), Handbook of methodological innovation (pp. 249-268). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Nastasi, B. K., Jayasena, A., Summerville, M., & Borja, A. (2011). Facilitating long-term recovery from natural disasters: Psychosocial programming in tsunami-affected schools of Sri Lanka. School Psychology International, 32, 512-532. DOI: 10.1177/0143034311402923.

Nastasi, B. K., Overstreet, S., & Summerville, M. (2011). School-based mental health services in post-disaster contexts: A public health framework. School Psychology International, 32, 533-552. DOI: 10.1177/0143034311402926.

Nastasi, B. K., & Varjas, K. (2011). International development of school psychology. In M. A. Bray & T. J. Kehle (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of School Psychology (pp. 810-828). NY: Oxford University Press.

Nastasi, B. K., Moore, R. B., & Varjas, K. M. (2004). School-based mental health services: Creating comprehensive and culturally specific programs. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association

Nastasi, B. K., Pluymert, K., Varjas, K., & Bernstein, R. (2002). Exemplary mental health programs: School psychologists as mental health service providers.(3rd ed.). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Nastasi, B. K., & Hitchcock, J. H. (2008). Evaluating quality and effectiveness of population-based services. In B. J. Doll & J. A. Cummings (Eds.), Transforming school mental health services: Population-based approaches to promoting the competency and wellness of children (pp. 245-276).Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press with National Association of School Psychologists.

Nastasi, B. K., Hitchcock, J. H., Burkholder, G., Varjas, K., Sarkar, S., & Jayasena, A. (2007). Assessing adolescents’ understanding of and reactions to stress in different cultures: Results of a mixed-methods approach. School Psychology International, 28(2), 163-178.

Nastasi, B.K., Hitchcock, J., Sarkar, S., Burkholder, G., Varjas, K., & Jayasena, A. (2007). Mixed methods in intervention research: Theory to adaptation. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(2), 164-182.