Bernadette Sánchez

Bernadette Sánchez is the President’s Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. As a first-generation college student, she focuses on mentoring relationships and the positive development of urban, low-income adolescents of color, particularly Latinx and African-American youth. Her work examines formal/natural mentoring, resilience in marginalized youth, and racial/ethnic identity processes.

Education:

• PhD, MA, BA in Psychology (University of Illinois at Chicago & Fairfield University)

Her research bridges racial discrimination, cultural mistrust, and educational outcomes, emphasizing cultural humility training for mentors. Current projects explore STEM mentoring and cultural humility interventions. She has published extensively in developmental psychology and community psychology journals.

Recent article trends highlight cross-racial mentoring dynamics, STEM identity formation for youth of color, and systemic barriers in educational systems. She investigates how mentoring mediates racial trauma and supports critical consciousness.

Scientific awards include:

• Distinguished Fellow, William T. Grant Foundation
• Fellow, Society for Community Research & Action

Grants from NIH, NSF, and William T. Grant Foundation fund her mentoring research. She teaches courses on human development and Latinx perspectives, mentored graduate students, and collaborates with the DREAM Research Team.