Biography

I grew up in Oxnard, California, and I am proud to be a first-generation college student and daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico. I believe that my background and experiences continue to serve as a strength in my research inquiries of which I am very passionate.

My program of research centers on investigating the role of sociocultural forces (i.e., sociodemographic, cultural mismatch) in historically marginalized students’ health (mental, physical) and academic adjustment during the transition to college. I received my Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, with a minor in Culture, Brain and Development, from the University of California, Los Angeles. I am also a proud graduate of the Bachelors and Masters Programs in Psychology at California State University, Northridge.

Publications

View full list of publications here.

Current Projects

• Cultural Mismatch, Health and Academic Adjustment Among Latinx Students During the Transition to College
• Educational Modules to Broaden Academic Research Cultures

Past Projects

• Exploring Home-School and Peer-Peer Cultural Value Mismatch Among Latinx First-Generation College Students During the Transition to College
• Predictors and Consequences of Home-School and Peer-Peer Cultural Value Mismatch During the Transition to College
• The Causal Impact of Home-School Cultural Value Mismatch on Latinx Students’ Attentional Control During the Transition to College
• Socioeconomic and Peer-peer Cultural Value Mismatch, Health and Academic Adjustment Among Dormitory Roommates During the Transition to College