Autumn Cano-Guin

Dr. Autumn Cano-Guin is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North Carolina State University and the Quality Youth Program Specialist for NC 4-H Youth Development. She specializes in family life coaching, program evaluation, and youth development, with a focus on underserved populations. Her work spans 26 years of research and evaluation across education equity, STEM literacy, and substance misuse prevention.

Education:

• B.S. Psychology, Fayetteville State University
• M.S. Community Psychology, North Carolina State University
• Ph.D. Educational Research and Policy Analysis, North Carolina State University

Research Interests:

Dr. Cano-Guin’s work emphasizes evidence-based program design, particularly in:

• Equitable STEM pathways for Latinx youth
• Community engagement strategies for opioid prevention
• Coaching models for program success
• Adverse childhood experiences mitigation

Grants & Leadership:

• Co-PI of $7.8M YEA: Advancing Equitable Agriscience Pathways project
• Director of 4-H Empowering Youth and Families program
• Chair of National 4-H Research & Evaluation Committee

Awards:

• 2023 Certified Family Life Coach—Expert
• 2022 Regional Excellence in Peer Professional Development Award
• 2021 Susan Barkman Award for Research & Evaluation

Labs/Teams:

Leads the 4-H Positive Youth Development Working Group and collaborates with the National Juntos Consortium on STEM equity initiatives.