Laura Fajardo Romo is a Full Professor in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where she specializes in Child and Adolescent Development.
She specializes in Developmental Psychology, exploring how cultural and familial communication impact the health and educational outcomes of Latino youth. Her extensive body of work examines adolescent development, Latina youth sexuality, and the complex dynamics of Latina mother-daughter relationships. Additionally, she investigates early childhood science and health education, with a specific focus on Latino preschoolers. Her recent research shifts toward higher education, identifying the key factors that drive the persistence and success of first-generation Latino college students.
Dr Romo earned both her B.A. and PhD in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with a doctoral focus on Developmental Psychology and a minor in Measurement and Psychometrics. Beyond her teaching and research, she has held significant administrative leadership roles at UCSB, serving as the Director of the Chicano Studies Institute, as well as holding various directorate positions at the Linguistic Minority Research Institute. She has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and grants to support her work. She was the recipient of a UC President Postdoctoral Award. Notably, she received the William T. Grant Scholar Award and has secured significant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).