I am a Ph.D. student in the Human Development graduate group from Southern California and a recent graduate of the master's in clinical psychology program from Cal State University Northridge. I am working with Dr. Adrienne Nishina in the Peer lab researching factors that impact ethnic minority youth and families.

In my spare time, I enjoy street photography and watching movies.

Awards

Westall Graduate Research Award 2025

Publications: 

Sigal, M. & Nishina, A. (2025). Assessment of infographics as a retention tool in a longitudinal study of diverse emerging adults. Emerging Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968251377129

Medina, M. A.,* Sigal, M.,* Vang, T. M., Witkow, M. R., Bellmore, A., & Nishina, A. (2025). Interethnic climate and psychological adjustment across high school: Mediating role of school belonging and ethnic identity. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. [*first co-authorship] https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-025-02241-5

Hibel, L. C., Sigal, M., & Teff-Seker, Y. (2025). Mental health in Californian Jews before and after October 7, 2023. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0002011

Sigal, M. & Plunkett, S. W. (2023). Gender and ethnic differences in university students’ attitudes about mental health services. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy. https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2023.2179286

Green Rosas, Y., Sigal, M., Park, A., & Barnett, M. L. (2022). Predicting a rapid transition to telehealth amidst COVID-19: A mixed-methods study. Global Implementation Research and Applications. 2, 293-304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43477-022-00057-0  

Barnett, M. L., Sigal, M., Green Rosas, Y., Corcoran, F., Rastogi, M., & Jent, J. F. (2021). Therapist experiences and attitudes about implementing internet-delivered parent-child interaction therapy during COVID-19. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 28(4), 630-641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2021.03.005     

Sigal, M., Ross, B. J., Behnke, A. O. & Plunkett, S. W. (2021). Neighborhood, peer, and parental influences on minor and major substance use of Latino and Black adolescents. Children, 8(4), 267. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8040267  

Book Chapters:   

Plunkett, S. W., Bakhtiari, F., Sigal, M., & Temourian, A. A. (2022). Adolescents’ alcohol use. In A. Song & P. Cabral (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Health. Elsevier. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818872-9.00180-1 

Presentations: 

Sigal, M., Huang, Y., Medina, M. A., Bellmore, A., Witkow, M. R., Bellmore, A., & Nishina, A. (2026, April). Coping strategies throughout high school: A longitudinal person-centered approach [Poster]. Society for Research on Adolescence, Toronto, Canada.

Sigal, M., Hibel, J., & Teff-Seker, Y. (2025, November). Concern about antisemitism moderates the link between ethnic identity and Jewish family socialization. In L. Ontai (Chair), Family socialization across diverse contexts: How beliefs, values, and experiences shape parenting practices [Symposium]. National Council on Family Relations, Baltimore, MD.

Yuen, A., Shao, H., Sigal, M., Bellmore, A., Witkow, M. R., & Nishina, A. (2025, May). High school risk-taking and college psychological adjustment: Social support seeking as a moderator [Poster]. Society for Research in Child Development, Minneapolis, MN.

Valenton, K. S., Barnes, L., Sigal, M., Fredericks, A., Smith, E. N., & Trzesniewski, K. (2024, September). Developing a measure of inclusive learning environments [Poster]. Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, Baltimore, MD.

Hibel, L. C., Teff-Seker, Y., Sigal, M., & Anderson, E. (2024, May). Socialization of Jewish identity in the context of antisemitism [Poster]. Society for Research in Child Development Anti-Racist Special Summit, Panama City, Panama.

Huddlestun, D., Sigal, M., Valenton, K. S., Hibel, J., Rose, H., Ebeler, S., & Trzesniewski, K. (2024, April). Perceptions of undergraduate student belonging prior to starting college from 2018-2022. In D. Huddlestun (Chair), Student perceptions and feelings of belonging across COVID and beyond [Symposium]. American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.

Sigal, M. & Nishina, A. (2024, April). Does the use of general or study-specific infographics help participant retention in longitudinal studies of diverse emerging adults? [Poster]. Society for Research on Adolescence, Chicago, IL.

Sigal, M., Ekwueme, C. S., Ramirez Hall, A., Meter, D., Medina, M. A., Uresti, A., & Nishina, A. (2024, April). Friend, teacher, and classmate lack of support and their relationship to STEM students’ anxiety across time [Poster]. Society for Research on Adolescence, Chicago, IL.

Sigal, M., Medina, M. A., Plunkett, S. W., & Behnke, A. O. (2023, April). Actual and perceived paternal behaviors related to Latino adolescents’ academics [poster]. Society for Research on Adolescence, San Diego, CA.   

Sigal, M., Medina, M. A., Vang, T. M., Nishina, A., Bellmore, A., & Witkow, M. R. (2022, November). “I found a way to love myself”: Relationships, Self-care, and Accomplishments During COVID-19 [poster]. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New York City, NY. 

Sigal, M. (2021, April) Predicting continued delivery of parent-child interaction therapy during COVID-19. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New Orleans, LA.