Dr. Zeiders' Research Team
Bianca Levario, Project Coordinator for The Tucson Sons Project/El Proyecto Hijos de Tucson
Bianca Levario grew up in Rio Rico, Arizona a town that is 20 minutes away from the U.S-Mexico border. In 2013, she graduated with her bachelor's degree in Spanish Literature and a minor in Adolescent, Community, and Education. She is dedicated to helping underserved communities by providing Spanish translation services to families to better connect them to the public school system, educating families on how to gain college access for their students, and mentoring youth on social-emotional well being. In 2015, she served with AmeriCorps in San Diego, California. She mentored high school students by providing after school tutoring services, designing community services projects for her students to partake in, and guiding them into a successful academic path. For the past 4 years, Bianca held a position with the Tucson Unified School District - Mexican American Student Services Department as the Social-Emotional Program Specialist. Her role was geared toward advocating for equitable education opportunities for her students and families, implementing youth mentoring groups to increase academic and social goals, and collaborating with community organizations and colleges to increase educational opportunities.
Selena Carbajal is from Fresno, CA. She is a second-year graduate student in Human Development and Family Science at the University of Arizona (UA). She completed her bachelor’s degree at California State University, Fresno as a double major in Psychology and Women’s Studies, and minor in Chicano/Latino Studies. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholar, she explored a line of work on Latinx college students’ familial experiences, bicultural competence, and mental health. Now, as a California Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) Fellow, she continues this work alongside Dr. Rosa I. Toro. At the UA, she examines how bicultural competence relates to academic and psychological functioning among Latinx youth and young adults under the mentorship of Dr. Katharine H. Zeiders. After her PhD, she plans to become a tenure-track professor that engages in research, teaching, and service to elucidate the strengths of Latinx families.
Evelyn Sarsar is a first-year doctoral student in Human Development and Family Science program. She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychological Science from California State University, San Marcos. Her research focuses on the biological and social contexts of well-being among Latinx youth, more specifically the effects of ethnic discrimination on psychological and biological stress responses.
Kevin Molina is a senior, pursuing a bachelor’s degree as a major in Human Development and Family Science and a minor in Astronomy. He is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and it is his second semester as a research assistant. His research aims to investigate the mental health disparities of Latinx youth and young adults. After graduation, he plans on pursuing a PhD for Marriage and Family therapy.
Rachael Perez is from Maricopa, AZ. She is pursuing a bachelor of science in Human Development and Family Science and a bachelor of arts in Psychology, with a thematic minor in Social Work. Rachael has a passion for improving the quality of life for children and families. After graduating, she plans on pursuing a career as a case manager with a non-profit organization.
Daniela Cruz is a senior from Yuma, Arizona. She is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Science with a minor in Spanish. Her research interests include mental health and marriage and family dynamics. After graduating, she plans to go to graduate school to pursue a career as a marriage and family therapist. This is Daniela's second semester being a part of a research team and she hopes she can continue doing research in the future.
Alexandra Kubela is from Pasadena, CA. She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Arizona. This is Alexandra’s first semester as a research assistant and she hopes to use this experience to learn more about research in order to prepare for a future career. Alexandra plans on attending graduate school to pursue School Psychology.
Elizabeth Elias is a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Science with a thematic minor combining social work and education. She hopes to learn more about the research process, as this is her first semester as a research assistant. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a career in Pediatric/Cardiovascular Perfusion.
.png)