Esther J. Calzada

Esther J. Calzada, Ph.D., is the Norma and Clay Leben Professor in Child and Family Behavioral Health and Associate Dean for Research at The University of Texas at Austin’s Steve Hicks School of Social Work. She holds a B.A. from Duke University and a Ph.D. in clinical child psychology from the University of Florida. Her academic roles also include Research Scientist at the Morris L. Lichenstein, Jr. Medical Research Foundation and affiliate positions in the Population Research Center, LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies, and the Department of Mexican American and Latino/a Studies.

Dr. Calzada’s research focuses on parenting practices, early childhood development, and scientific equity in Latinx and minoritized communities. She investigates systemic inequities such as racial discrimination while promoting protective factors like ethnic-racial identity to reduce disparities in academic achievement, behavior, and socio-emotional well-being. Her work is funded by NIH, NSF, and the U.S. Department of Education.

Her articles highlight themes like Latinx mental health trajectories during the pandemic, the role of home-school dissonance in academic performance, and culturally adapted interventions such as ParentCorps. She advocates for equity in education and mental health systems, emphasizing compassionate pedagogy and anti-criminalization approaches for youth with mental illnesses.

Dr. Calzada has held leadership roles including Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion and Director of the Texas Center for Equity Promotion. She currently serves on the Governing Council of the Society for Research in Child Development and the NIH’s Social Psychology Study Section. Her research emphasizes community-driven approaches to address disparities through collaborative, ethical frameworks.