Morenike Alugo is a PhD Candidate in Prevention Science at Rutgers University–Camden. Alugo’s research focuses on youth well-being, civic engagement, digital well-being, and the social environments that shape long-term developmental outcomes. Using interdisciplinary, prevention-focused approaches that combine public health, social science, and data analysis, Alugo studies how institutions such as schools, communities, and digital spaces influence participation, belonging, and democratic life. Alugo has worked on projects related to youth mental health, civic pathways, and community data systems, and currently serves as a fellow supporting community-based research institutions at Rutgers University–Camden. Alugo has presented research at national and international academic conferences.

School-Based Participation and Lifelong Democratic Engagement: Evidence from the Add Health Study

This project examines whether participation in school-based activities during adolescence helps foster democratic engagement later in adulthood. Using national longitudinal data from the Add Health study, the research will explore whether young people who participate more in clubs, teams, and other organized school activities become adults who are more likely to vote and volunteer. The study uses a sibling-comparison design to better understand whether these relationships persist beyond shared family background. The project connects directly to the fellowship’s focus on inspiring democratic engagement by examining how schools can help cultivate lifelong habits of participation, civic responsibility, and involvement in American democratic life.

This project is co-authored with Daniel Hart, Interim Dean and University Professor, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers–New Brunswick