Dr. Hacker was recently awarded a grant to establish the College of Liberal Arts Research Center to assist faculty in their scholarly activities and serves as the Director. She is the past chair of the Virginia Board of Psychology and is currently completing her second term on the Board. She received her PhD and MS degrees from the University of Georgia and a BA degree from Emory University. Dr. Hacker's research and clinical interests are in the areas of positive youth development, mental health of African American women, and well-being among female adolescents.