Faculty Directory
Belle Liang
Ascione Faculty Fellow
Professor
Licensed Psychologist
Belle Liang
Ph.D.
Contact
Campion 314
Telephone: 617-552-4079
Email: liangbe@bc.edu
ORCID
Education
- Ph.D., Michigan State University
- M.A., Michigan State University
- B.S., Indiana University
Courses
Applied Psychology Practicum: Pathways to Purposeful Work and Life
Research Interests
Mentoring and Cultivating Purpose in Adolescence and Young Adulthood; Creating schools and workplaces that foster purpose and belonging.
Expertise
- Career and Work
- Formative and Whole Person Education
- Health and Well Being
Department
Profile
Dr. Belle Liang is a professor of counseling, developmental, and educational psychology in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. She is a licensed clinical psychologist, and an expert in mentoring and youth purpose. She is an American Psychological Association Fellow Division 17, recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana University-Bloomington, The Many Faces of Counseling Psychology Award for outstanding contributions in psychology, and numerous honors for teaching and mentoring.
She founded the Purpose Lab, and has published nearly dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters to advance the science and practice of mentoring and cultivating purpose in schools and workplaces. She co-authored, "How to Navigate Life: The New Science of Finding Your Way in School, Career, & Beyond" (St. Martin's Press, 2022).
GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT
- COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan听
- Youth Mentoring and Purpose Project, Potter's House Guatemala City
- Postcards for Peace Project with WorldVision in Northern Uganda
Select Publications
Liang, B., & Klein, T. (2022).听How to navigate life: The new science of finding your way in school, career, & beyond.听New York, NY: St. Martin鈥檚 Press.
Lincoln, B., Patel, K. N., Binder, M.*, Lund, T. J., & Liang, B. (2024). Transforming service into civic purpose: A qualitative study of adolescent civic engagement and purpose development.听Adolescents, 4(1), 90鈥�106.听
Lund, T. J., Fongemy, G., Lincoln, B., Snow, H., Hakovirta, A. L. S.*, & Liang, B. (2024). Predictors of purpose among young adults in college: An exploratory analysis of the importance of relational supports and experiential learning.听Youth.
Kang, A. S., Hoskova, B., Liu, C. Y., Viddayakorn, A., Binder, M.*, Liang, B., & Lai, B. (2023). Students of color and COVID-19: Experiences, coping strategies, and supports.听Journal of Educational Research & Practice, 13(1), 345鈥�364.听
Patel, K. N., Lincoln, B., Gomez, L. A. M., Lopez, A. C., Ting, T.*, Lund, T. J., & Liang, B. (2023). MentorOn: A peer mentoring program developed for COVID-19 times.听Journal of Community Psychology, 51(8), 3152鈥�3170.听
Lincoln, B.*, White, A. E., Lund, T. J., Liang, B., Blustein, D. L., & Barnett, G. M. (2023). Moving from passion to purpose: A STEM-focused after-school program鈥檚 influence on purpose outcomes.听Journal of Adolescent Research.听
Konowitz, L., Lund, T. J., Chia, S. W. C., Reed, M., Wood, W., Liang, B., Blustein, D., & Barnett, M. (2023). The powerful role of mothers in adolescent purpose development.听Journal of Psychological Research, 5(1).听
Zhou, M., Rauen, J., Sepulveda, J.*, Lund, T. J., Liang, B., & Mousseau, A. D. (2022). Purpose in the face of adversity: The roles of meaning-making and adversity among purposeful college students.听Journal of Character Education, 19(2), 1鈥�22.
Sepulveda, J., Zhou, M., Amorosi, A., Rauen, J., Boyer, M.*, Liang, B., Lund, T. J., & Mousseau, A. D. (2022). The R and R of purpose in college students: Refining and redefining purpose over time.听Journal of Adolescent Research.听
Lai, B. S., Hoskova, B., Riobueno-Naylor, A., Colgan, C. A., Aub茅, S. S., & Liang, B. (2022). College students and COVID-19: Mental health and purpose formation.听Journal of Emergency Management, 20(9), 65鈥�77.
Lund, T. J., Liang, B., Lincoln, B., White, A. E., Mousseau, A. D., Gomez, L., & Akins, E. (2022). Purpose in life among first-generation college students: Friends make a difference.听Youth, 2(1), 12鈥�22.
Konowitz, L., Lund, T. J., Lincoln, B., Reed, M.*, Liang, B., Barnett, M., & Blustein, D. (2022). Changemakers: Influences on engagement in STEM curricula among underrepresented youth.听European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research, 5(2), 103鈥�113.
Liang, B., Lund, T., Mousseau, A., & Spencer, R. (2016). The 4 P鈥檚 of purpose among college-bound students: People, propensity, passion, and prosocial benefits.听Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(3), 281鈥�294.
Select Grants
Liang, B., & Bronk, K. (2024鈥�2027).听Cultivating Purpose & Belonging in Schools.听Funded by the Walton Family Foundation ($2,225,000).
Liang, B. (2024鈥�2026).听True North at Messina Purpose Initiative.听Funded by the Davis Education Foundation ($160,000).
Barnett, M., Liang, B., & Blustein, D. (2017鈥�2023).听Change Makers: Urban Youth Food Justice Ambassadors.听Funded by the National Science Foundation ($1,998,290).
Barnett, M., Liang, B., & Blustein, D. (2018鈥�2023).听Seeding the Future of STEM Researchers Through Emerging Agricultural Technologies.听Funded by the National Science Foundation ($1,197,756).
Liang, B. (2023鈥�2024).听Cultivating Purpose & Belonging in K-12 and College.听Funded by the Walton Family Foundation ($110,000).
Liang, B. (2023鈥�2025).听Purpose & Belonging Curriculum in K-12 RedGen Schools.听Funded by RedGen ($64,000).
Liang, B. (2022鈥�2023).听True North 2.0.听Funded by the Melkus Foundation ($64,000).
Liang, B. (2021鈥�2022).听Working Wise & Living Whys: Purpose from School to the Workplace.听Funded by Boston College Research Across Schools and Departments Grant ($50,000).
Liang, B. (2019鈥�2020).听Formative Education: The Role of Purpose and Critical Consciousness in College Students.听Funded by Boston College Research on Formative Education Grant ($15,000).
Liang, B. (2019鈥�2021).听True North.听Funded by the Melkus Foundation ($200,000).