Kayla Puente

Kayla Puente is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lewis & Clark College, located within the College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on how family and cultural strengths influence the socioemotional and academic development of adolescents, particularly in STEM contexts among Latinx populations. She holds a PhD from UC Irvine’s School of Education (2022) and a BA in Psychology from Pomona College (Claremont, CA).

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Education with specialization in Human Development in Context (UC Irvine, 2022)
• BA in Psychology with a Sociology minor (Pomona College, CA)

Key research interests include STEM motivation, family systems theory, and culturally responsive educational practices. Her work emphasizes strength-based approaches to understanding how cultural and familial factors shape academic trajectories. Recent studies explore parental adaptive responses to math challenges, sibling support in science motivation, and longitudinal associations between family engagement and STEM career expectations.

Her publications highlight trends in culturally informed educational strategies, longitudinal developmental outcomes, and disparities in STEM identity formation across racial/ethnic groups. Notable contributions include insights into afterschool programs for underprivileged Latine youth and the role of prosocial behaviors in civic engagement.