Research

My research program adopts a strengths-based approach to examining the development of Latinx and immigrant-origin adolescents. I explore three interrelated lines of inquiry: 1) How youth resist structural inequities through supportive mentoring relationships, 2) How nonparental adults partner in youth-led social change, and 3) How institutions expand youth voice to address social inequities. I ground my work in cultural-ecological systems theory to conceptualize development as an ongoing reciprocal process between adolescents’ characteristics and those of their surrounding environments, from their immediate context to broader policies and societal influences. This theoretical grounding informs how I examine youth-adult relationships within youth-serving settings, such as schools and community organizations, shaped by macro-level contexts (e.g., racism, adultism, xenophobia). Moreover, I integrate qualitative, quantitative, and community-engaged methods in partnership with diverse stakeholders (e.g., youth, community members, organizations) throughout the stages of the research process. Thus, I share power with research partners to collaboratively identify research questions, determine appropriate methods, and discuss how findings may inform action. My work appears in outlets such as Adolescent Research Review, American Journal of Community Psychology, and Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, and has been funded by a T32 NICHD Postdoctoral Training Grant and the Nike Foundation.