Margaret Friend

Margaret Friend is a Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University (SDSU), part of the College of Sciences and Department of Psychology. She holds a PhD from the University of Florida (1994) and has held academic affiliations with the University of California, Berkeley; Université de Genéve; and UCSF. Her research focuses on language learning, literacy development, and bilingualism, particularly in Spanish-English contexts. She has led NIH-funded studies on bilingual vocabulary assessment and the impact of socioeconomic factors on early language acquisition.

Key research interests include lexical development in bilingual children, the cognitive benefits of code-switching, and the psychometric properties of vocabulary assessment tools like the Computerized Comprehension Task (CCT). She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Developmental Psychology and Cognitive Development, and has secured $12M+ in federal grants. Her work bridges developmental psychology, psycholinguistics, and education policy. Notable contributions include developing cross-linguistic assessment tools (e.g., Spanish Web-CCT) and advancing understanding of how early language environments shape cognitive trajectories.

Awards include the 2018 Outstanding Dissertation Award and 2019 Becky Award for mentoring. She advises numerous graduate students on topics like pandemic impacts on childcare and Spanish-English language preservation. Her lab collaborates internationally, with recent work in Argentina and France. She also engages in public outreach via media appearances and K-12 educational initiatives.