Bio

Kristen Mahony-Atallah, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and a faculty member in the School Psychology Program at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on school-based positive psychology and mental health, with an emphasis on developing, adapting, measuring, and implementing supports that promote student and educator well-being.

Her work examines strengths-based interventions, developmentally responsive measurement of well-being, and the implementation processes that influence the feasibility, acceptability, fidelity, and sustainability of school-based supports. She uses quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches and collaborates with schools and community partners to develop practical supports that can be integrated into educational settings.

Current Research

Dr. Mahony-Atallah’s research examines how positive psychology and well-being supports can be developed, adapted, measured, implemented, and sustained within educational settings.

Her current work focuses on three interconnected areas: strengths-based interventions for students and educators, developmentally responsive measurement of well-being, and implementation processes that shape the feasibility, acceptability, fidelity, and sustainability of school-based supports. Current work includes school-based strengths interventions, Tier II positive psychology supports, educator well-being initiatives, and measurement of gratitude, life satisfaction, and subjective well-being. These areas align with her broader interest in integrating positive psychology and implementation science to support well-being in educational settings.

Funded Research

ME to WE: A School-Based Pilot of Teacher Well-Being Implementation and Sustainability
Principal Investigator, 2026–2027

Strengths in Action: Building a Faculty Toolkit for Wellness and Belonging
Principal Investigator, 2025–2026

Promoting Well-Being and Connection for Adoptive Families: Implementing the Learning and Empowerment for Adoptive Families (LEAF) Program at NC State
Co-Principal Investigator, 2026

Empowering Well-Being in Undergraduates: A Positive Psychology Workshop and Strengths-Based Intervention
Principal Investigator, 2024–2025

Graduate Advising

Dr. Mahony-Atallah directs the Cultivating Empowerment, Development, Achievement, and Resilience (C.E.D.A.R. Research Team), which brings together graduate and undergraduate students interested in positive psychology, school mental health, student and educator well-being, and the implementation of strengths-based supports in educational settings.

Students on the C.E.D.A.R. Research Team engage in research design, data collection and analysis, measurement and assessment, manuscript preparation, conference presentations, and school-community research partnerships. Current student research includes character strengths, gratitude, subjective well-being, developmentally adapted measurement, student engagement, educator well-being, and implementation of school-based interventions.

Responsibilities

Dr. Mahony-Atallah teaches graduate courses in the School Psychology Program and provides clinical and research supervision to school psychology trainees. Her current teaching and supervision include school-based practicum and psychological consultation.

She also mentors graduate and undergraduate students engaged in research related to positive psychology, student and educator well-being, school mental health, and implementation science. Her recent NC State teaching includes Psychological Clinic Practicum, School Psychology Practicum: Teacher-Centered Services, and Psychological Consultation.

Education

Ph.D. School Psychology, Duquesne University, 2022
M.S.Ed. Child Psychology, Duquesne University, 2020
B.A. Psychology, Minor in Teacher Education, University at Buffalo, 2015

Area(s) of Expertise

School Psychology
Positive Psychology
School Mental Health
Student and Educator Well-Being
Strengths-Based Interventions