Lia D Falco

Lia D. Falco is an Associate Professor in the Educational Psychology Department at the University of Arizona’s College of Education. She is a certified Arizona school counselor with prior experience in the Amphitheater School District. Her research focuses on adolescent career development, particularly STEM career choice and underrepresented student support. She actively reviews for journals like Professional School Counseling and serves on editorial boards. Dr. Falco co-founded the “Talk it Out” program with Tucson Unified School District, providing free mental health services. Recognitions include the 2019 Erasmus Circle Fellowship and a COE service award nomination.

Her expertise bridges counseling theory and practice, with emphasis on self-efficacy, motivation, and identity. Research spans STEM education interventions, career group counseling frameworks, and psychometric scale development. She contributes to national organizations like the American Counseling Association and chairs the National Career Development Association’s research committee.

Recent scholarship highlights include analyzing counseling journals’ trends, evaluating self-efficacy interventions, and exploring social influences on STEM participation. Key themes across her work involve improving educational practices for marginalized students and advancing career readiness through systemic interventions.