Sandra Simpkins

Sandra Simpkins, Ph.D., is a Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. She directs an active developmental research lab investigating how children’s and adolescents’ motivation, STEM interest, and well-being are shaped by family, school, and organized after-school contexts, with particular attention to Latinx and lower-SES populations.

Education & Affiliations:

• University of California, Irvine – School of Education (Professor; current)
• Ph.D. (institution & year not specified in text)

Research Interests:

Dr. Simpkins’ work integrates developmental and educational psychology to study:

• STEM motivational beliefs across gender, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic status
• Culturally responsive practices in after-school math and science programs
• Parental and family socialization processes supporting Latinx adolescents’ science course-taking and career expectations
• Longitudinal impacts of organized activities on academic, social, and civic outcomes from middle childhood into adulthood

Recent projects emphasize how mothers’ and fathers’ math self-concepts, stereotypes, and support behaviors differentially influence girls’ and boys’ motivational trajectories, and how program quality that centers cultural values enhances basic psychological needs and value beliefs among Latine youth.

Grants & Current Projects:

She leads multiple federally and foundation-funded studies (detailed grant titles not listed in text) that allow her to follow diverse youth longitudinally, observe after-school programs in action, and work collaboratively with school districts and community organizations to translate findings into scalable educational practice.

Awards & Honors:

No specific awards or fellowships are enumerated in the supplied text.

Advising & Mentoring:

Dr. Simpkins mentors a multi-level team of scholars including post-doctoral researchers, doctoral students, and undergraduates. Lab alumni have proceeded to faculty positions and applied research roles in universities and educational agencies.

Lab & Team:

She heads the Simpkins Research Lab (companion site: simpkinslab.weebly.com), where collaborative projects examine activity participation, STEM identity formation, and culturally informed intervention design.