Dr. Castellanos began teaching academic courses at UC Irvine in 1999. A Professor of Teaching for the School of Social Sciences, Dr. Castellanos has a passion for mentoring, teaching, and developing curriculum. In her time at UCI, some courses she has taught include: Research Methods, Honors Seminar, Latinx Families, Comparative Cultures, Minorities in Higher Education, and Multicultural Education.

Dr. Castellanos’ orientation centers on the value of personalismo (personalism/the individual) and academic family. At the forefront of her teaching, students experience a genuine connection and sense of being valued.  As an instructor, she fully engages with her students, intentionally developing strong student-faculty relationships. The interactions are sincere and create a reciprocating dynamic that reinforces faculty commitment, student interest, engagement, and learning.

Dr. Castellanos views student learning as an active process that encompasses student-faculty engagement and student involvement/participation. Learning must be relevant, practical, and meaningful. In her classes, small group discussions and activities create fluidity and active learning facilitating group learning and community building. Another value exemplified in her teaching is a holistic learning experience. Along with providing relevant student-centered and meaningful learning, Dr. Castellanos fosters a classroom environment that emphasizes the importance of knowledge, civic values, critical thinking, and analytical and writing skills post undergraduate education. 

Culture and multicultural training are at the center of Dr. Castellanos’ teaching. Specifically, she integrates culture and context within each of her classes vs. teaching about multiculturalism. In essence, she strives to teach from a multicultural, culturally responsive, and inclusive perspective to provide a classroom environment that is culturally meaningful and intentional. In the call to address cultural differences, she facilitates an environment that feels safe while promoting a self-and-other awareness experience. 

Below, a few of Dr. Castellanos’ courses are highlighted: 

Comparative Cultures
This course introduces students to the scope of cross-cultural comparisons by analyzing the theories, methodologies, problems, and ethical issues encountered by anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, political scientists, and historians as they compare cultures and sub-cultures. More specifically, the class presents the historical development of the dominant American culture and society. The readings have an emphasis on people in distinctly different societies throughout history, and students are exposed to concepts that cross all social science disciplines. Themes discussed and used as a basis for writing include democracy, elitism, power, social class, and race.

Chicanx/Latinx Families
This course is an upper division course addressing the research, literature, and issues surrounding the topic of Chicanx/Latinx Families. Various aspects of the Chicanx/Latinx family are examined including cultural history and contemporary issues such as: the organization of family, traditions, lifestyle, values, beliefs, generational differences, gender issues, and ethnic identity. Additionally, the course curriculum includes the evolution of demographic patterns and current economic and political standings for Chicanx/Latinxs in the United States. Other topics addressed include: the practice of religion, beliefs in spirituality, folk beliefs, coping, and well-being in the context of culture, generation, gender, and ethnicity.

Field Studies – Ethnographic Research and Community Service
This course is an introduction to the research, literature, and issues surrounding the topic of field studies through service learning. The course introduces theories, principles, and methods of conducting qualitative research (participant observation) in Social Sciences by placing students in non-profit community agencies for two quarters with the intent of serving the community and enhancing their research skills. Additionally, the course acquaints students with general issues involved in conducting research, including ethics, validity, and reliability. Research methods covered in this course include literature review, research design, data collection, and data analysis. Students generate and develop their own research interests and produce an original research paper.

Social Science Honors
The Social Science Honors Program (SSHP) is an excellent opportunity for Social Policy and Public Service majors to get involved in their own academic projects to complete the process of doing an undergraduate thesis under the guidance of a faculty. This academic exercise is a unique activity for junior scholars to develop their analytical and critical thinking skills in an area of interest that they can later pursue in graduate school. The key element to this program is one-on-one contact with a faculty advisor who will provide you guidance and understanding in a specialized area of study. The program provides a venue for students to dialogue about critical social science issues while sharing their results and interpretations.