U.S. Latino Migrant
Cattle Feedlot Workers
and Their Families
In an effort to address health and safety risks in the cattle production industry, this project aims to understand the health status, unique risk and protective factors, and specific educational needs of Latino immigrant cattle feedlot workers. Conducting interviews with 250 workers in Nebraska and Kansas, we will develop and test a new Ecological Stress-based Model of Immigrant Health and Safety; the insights gained from workers will inform the model. Our goal is to create, evaluate, and share culturally and linguistically tailored health and safety information for these workers, considering the long-term economic impacts of addressing these issues. Funded by NIOSH.
U.S. Latino Farmworker
Youth and Families
This is a collaborative project with Purdue University conducting a longitudinal mixed methods study of Latino/a farmworker youth in the U.S. Midwest. Funded by NIH.
Positive Socioemotional
Learning and Education
This project is designed to examine socioemotional factors that predict educational achievement and performance in culturally diverse populations to develop evidence-based interventions. Working with fellow colleagues at the University of California, Irvine and the University of Granada, Spain.
Moral and Character Development
in U.S. Mexican youth
Collaborative project with Arizona State University on moral and character development in U.S. Mexican youth. Funded by the Templeton Foundation.
Studies on Racism, Discrimination,
and Prejudice
We conduct multiple projects investigating the socialization of biases and discriminatory behaviors related to race and ethnicity. Our studies are focused on comprehending and addressing social injustice and inequities. These initiatives involve collaborations with scholars from various esteemed institutions, including Lehigh University, Texas A&M University, Arizona State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Southern California, and University of New Mexico.
Latino Youth Care Project
(LYCP)
This project focuses on testing a model of social wellbeing and adjustment in U.S. Latino youth residing in the Northern Great Plains. We collected data from approximately 310 U.S. Latino caregivers and their adolescents on a wide range of ecological, stress, social cognitions and emotions, culture-related processes, and psychological and behavioral outcomes. Funded by NSF.
Current Work
Racism, Discrimination, and Prejudice
Our studies are focused on comprehending and addressing social injustice and inequities. These initiatives involve collaborations with scholars from various esteemed institutions, including Lehigh University, Texas A&M University, Arizona State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Southern California, and University of New Mexico.
Project Updates:
- Lehigh/UCI/Texas A&M team plan to apply for grant funding on a socialization model of racism
- UNL/UCI/USC team plan to revise and resubmit grant application examining discrimination and adjustment in U.S. Latino adolescents
Cross-Cultural Studies on Prosocial Behaviors
This compiles work conducted in various countries around the world designed to understand the correlates and changes in prosocial tendencies, including empathy, moral reasoning, and prosocial behaviors. Collaboration with various universities including University of Valencia (Spain), University of Granada (Spain), National Chung Chen University (Taiwan), Ozygen University (Turkey) and Queen’s University (Ireland). This work includes one study with a team of scholars across 14 countries focused on COVID experiences and adjustment.
Health and Well Being in Culturally Diverse Groups
Compendium of studies examining biological and environment correlates of health and well being in U.S. ethnic and racial minority youth and families. Most of the studies focus on U.S. Latino/as and on prosocial development. Collaboration primarily with colleagues from University of Nebraska and UC Davis.
Project Updates:
- Recent paper using the California Families Project longitudinal study on U.S. Mexican families (see Publications webpage)
Early Maternal Risk Factors & Quality of Parent-Child Conversations
Collaborative project with University of Missouri (Columbia) and Lehigh University examining maternal risk factors in early childhood as predictors of the quality of parent-child conversations in early adolescence. Funded by NIH.