Maciel Hernández

Maciel Hernández is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies at the University of California, Davis. Her research program investigates Latino/a/x children's emotional, social, and academic development with emphasis on cultural and ethnic-racial processes in school contexts, employing longitudinal measurement and analytical methods to study developmental trajectories from childhood to adolescence.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Human Development from the University of California, Davis
• B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from Claremont McKenna College

Dr. Hernández's work centers on three interconnected themes: (1) Latino/a/x child development within cultural contexts; (2) how self-regulation and emotional expression in school predict academic and socioemotional adjustment; and (3) how teacher-student and peer relationships influence academic outcomes for at-risk youth. She investigates socioemotional and academic resilience while highlighting developmental diversity through frameworks emphasizing context and culture.

Her publication record in top-tier journals like Child Development and Developmental Psychology demonstrates consistent focus on longitudinal studies of Latino youth, emotional regulation in educational settings, and intersections of cultural values, family processes, and academic achievement, with strong implications for educational equity.

Her professional recognition includes:

• AERA-SRCD Early Career Research Fellow in Middle Childhood Education and Development
• Ronald E. McNair Scholar

Information regarding current grants and student advising is not specified in available materials.

She directs the Socioemotional and Academic Resilience (SOAR) lab, which examines factors contributing to resilience in socioemotional and academic domains among Latino/a/x children and adolescents.