Kay Thursby Bourke
Specialization
Community Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Positive Youth Development (PYD)
Research Interests
My research examines supportive relationships in young people's lives, with a particular focus on youth mentoring relationships. In my research, I use a variety of data methodologies and sources to explore the attitudes, skills, and behaviors mentors can develop and receive training in to best support their mentees. I am specifically interested in uplifting mentees' voices and experiences in their mentoring relationships to ensure the relationship meets their needs, expectations, and interests. I hope to use my research to support interventions and training programs for mentors that will benefit the positive development of young people.
Education
PhD University of Illinois Chicago
MA University of Illinois Chicago
MAT Relay Graduate School of Education
BA Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame
Courses taught
Community Psychology
Research Methods & Statistics
Developmental Psychology
Publications
Sánchez, B., Anderson, A. J., Herrera, C., DuBois, D. L., Thursby Bourke, K., Sack, J. K., Lee, S., Burchwell, K., Monjaras-Gaytan, L. Y., & Garcia-Murillo, Y. (2025). The effectiveness of providing training and ongoing support to foster cultural humility in volunteers serving as mentors to youth of color: A mixed-methods study protocol. BMC Public Health, 25, 294. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21508-x
Thursby Bourke, K., Sánchez, B., Monjaras-Gaytan, L. Y., & Rasgado-Flores, H. (2023). The role of family in Latinx students’ science education and careers. Journal of Latinx Psychology, 12(2), 168-185.
Sánchez, B., Garcia-Murillo, Y., Monjaras-Gaytan, L. Y., Thursby, K., Ulerio, G., de los Reyes, W., Salusky, I. R., & Rivera, C. S. (2022). Everyday acts of resistance: Mexican, undocumented immigrant youth navigating oppression in education with mentor support. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 32(2), 398-416.
O’Donnell, A. J., Harris, K., Sánchez, B., & Thursby, K. (2022). The roles of cultural mistrust and mentoring in Latinx adolescents’ attitudes toward school. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 32(2), 569-582.
De Los Reyes, W., Sánchez, B., Quiroz, A., Pagan, B., Monjaras-Gaytan, L.Y., O’Donnell, A. & Thursby, K. (2021). Mentoring Latinx children and adolescents: A systematic review. Adolescent Research Review, 7(1), 1-21.
Russell, A., Thursby, K., Aubele-Futch, T. & Stoddart, R. (2020). Negative affect and performance on exam day in college students: The role of self-regulation. Student Success Journal, 12(1), 35-46.
In Preparation
Sánchez, B., Anderson, A. J., Lee, S., Thursby Bourke, K., Monjaras-Gaytan, L. Y., Valdez, J. M., Herrera, C., & DuBois., D. L. (in preparation). Loneliness among racially minoritized adolescents: Racial discrimination and ethnic/racial identity as risk and protective factors. Journal of Early Adolescence.
Sánchez, B., Sanford-Dolly, C., Kennedy, M., Chung, H., Garcia-Murillo, Y., Thursby Bourke, K., Jarvis, N., & Arsenault, A. (in preparation). How an afterschool science program supports the development of culturally responsive scientist-mentors.
Selected Research Presentations
Thursby Bourke, K., Lee, S., Sack, J. K., Sánchez, B., Anderson, A. J., Herrera, C., & DuBois, D. L. (2025, June 17-21). From training to connection: Exploring the path from training to closeness in mentoring relationships [Poster presentation]. Society for Community Research and Action Biennial Conference, East Lansing, MI, United States.
Sánchez, B., Sack, J. K., Lee, S., Thursby Bourke, K., Anderson, A. J., Herrera, C, Monjaras-Gaytan, L. Y., Obando Rozo, N., & DuBois, D. L. (2025, June 17-21). Implementation outcomes of a culturally responsive training program for volunteer mentors and staff at a community-based youth mentoring program. Oral presentation presented at the Society for Community Research and Action Biennial Conference, East Lansing, MI, United States.
Valdez, J., Lee, S., Thursby Bourke, K., Sánchez, B., Anderson, A. J., Herrera, C., & DuBois, D. L. (2025, May 1-3). How social connections promote hope through loneliness among racially minoritized adolescents. Society for Research in Child Development biennial meeting, Minneapolis, MN., United States, May 1-3, 2025.
Sack, J. K., Lee, S., Thursby Bourke, K., Sánchez, B., Anderson, A. J., Herrera, C., & DuBois, D. L. (2025, May 1-3). How an antiracism intervention impacts mentors’ ethnic/racial socialization with racially minoritized adolescents. Society for Research in Child Development biennial meeting, Minneapolis, MN., United States, May 1-3, 2025.
* Matias, L., * Perez, B., Thursby Bourke, K., Sánchez, B., Anderson, A. J., Herrera, C., & DuBois, D. L. (2025 April 10-12). Building bridges: Mentors’ attunement to mentees’ experiences with racism [Poster presentation]. Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL, United States.
Thursby Bourke, K., * Sepulveda, P., Sánchez, B., Anderson, A. J., Herrera, C., & DuBois, D. L. (2024). Volunteer mentors’ responses to adolescents’ experiences with racism [Paper presentation]. Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) annual conference, Chicago, IL, United States, April 18-20, 2024.
Anderson, A.J., Lee, S, Thursby Bourke, K., Sánchez, B., Herrera, C., & DuBois, D. (2024). Does ethnic/racial identity weaken or worsen the effect of discrimination from adults on loneliness among adolescents of color? [Poster presentation]. Society for Research on Adolescence annual conference, Chicago, IL., United States, April 18-20, 2024.
Chung, H., Sánchez, B., Thursby Bourke, K., Jarvis, N., Sanford-Dolly, C., Kennedy, M., Arsenault, A., & Murrillo, Y. G. (2023, June). Gaining awareness of inequality in education: Mentors’ perspectives in a science mentoring Program. In A. Anderson (Chair), Moving Toward Social Justice: Exploring Changes to Mentor Cultural Humility in Youth Mentoring Interventions. Symposium presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Community Research & Action, Atlanta, GA.
Thursby, K., Monjaras-Gaytan, L. Y., Sánchez, B., & Rasgado-Flores, H. (2022, March 5). The role of family in Latinx students’ science education and careers. Poster presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence 2022 Biennial Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
Thursby, K., Garcia-Murillo, Y., Sánchez, B., Monjaras-Gaytan, L. Y., Ulerio, G., de los Reyes, W., Salusky, I. R., & Rivera, C. S. (2021, June 21). Everyday acts of resistance: Mexican, undocumented immigrant youth navigating oppression in education with mentor support. Ignite presentation at the Biennial Meeting of Society for Community Research and Action, virtual.