She received her B.A. in Social Work from University of Washington (1990); her MA in Human Communication from University of Arizona (1996); and her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from The Pennsylvania State University (2003). Dr. Boone currently teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in developmental psychology and serves as coordinator of the MA Program in Psychology. In her research, Dr. Boone has focused on factors that predict adolescent sexual and substance use behaviors. Specifically, her research has aimed to understand the influence of parents and their communication patterns on these adolescent behaviors. More current research is focused on the influence of peers and the development of relationships.