Dr. Erika Nicole Fountain
Tenure-Track
About
Dr. Fountain is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. She joined the UMBC Faculty as a postdoctoral fellow in 2017 after receiving her PhD in Psychology with an emphasis on Human Development and Public Policy from Georgetown University.Her research lies at the intersection of adolescent development, law, and policy. Her work examines how adolescents navigate the legal system and make legal decisions, how families and attorneys facilitate decision making in legal contexts, and how system or structural factors influence youth involvement in the legal system.
Research interests
Research Areas: Juvenile Justice; Adolescent Legal Decision Making; Family Engagement; Developmentally Informed Justice Policy and PracticeDr. Fountain's work explores the intersection of adolescence, law, and policy to understand how youth navigate legal systems and make legal decisions, the role of families and attorneys, and how systemic factors influence youth involvement with the law.
Teaching interests
Dr. Fountain teaches courses at the undergraduate and graduate level for the Psychology Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. These courses focus on adolescent development, law, and social policy.Undergraduate Courses:
PSYC 350: Psychology and the Law
PSYC 304: Adolescent Development
Graduate Courses:
PSYC 736: Applied Psychology and Social Policy
Education
-
Ph D, Psychology
— Georgetown University (2017) ADOLESCENT PLEA BARGAINS: DEVELOPMENTAL AND CONTEXTUAL INFLUENCES OF PLEA BARGAIN DECISION MAKING
- MA, Psychology — Georgetown University (2015)
- BA, Psychology — Florida International University (2010)