María D. Avalos

Dr. María D. Avalos serves as Associate Professor and Department Chair of Counseling in the Department of Counseling, Bilingual Education, and Educational Leadership at the University of Texas Permian Basin's College of Education. With 27 years of teaching experience spanning K-12, secondary, and post-secondary settings, she previously held roles as teacher/counselor at Seguin High School and Associate Dean of Student Life at Texas Lutheran University.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin (1998)
• M.Ed. in Guidance and Counseling, Texas State University (1993)
• B.A. in Psychology (Minor: Dance), Southwestern University
• Currently pursuing Ph.D. in Counselor Education, Texas Tech University (CACREP Accredited)

As a first-generation college student, Dr. Avalos focuses on academic self-efficacy, retention, and mental health of first-generation and Spanish-speaking counselor education students. Her research integrates teaching pedagogy and group counseling within counselor education, emphasizing culturally responsive approaches for underrepresented populations through empirical studies and practical interventions.

Her 2015-2017 publications reveal consistent thematic patterns across educational psychology and counseling, with dominant threads in bullying dynamics (cyber/peer victimization), bilingual student experiences, and Latina/o educational resilience. These works demonstrate methodological diversity while maintaining focus on social justice applications in school and clinical settings.

Professional credentials include Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor (Texas), National Certified Counselor, Certified School Counselor (Texas), and Certified Teacher (Texas). No additional scientific awards were documented in source materials.

Dr. Avalos teaches graduate courses including Professional Orientation and Ethics, Life Span Development, Multicultural Counseling, and Group Counseling, while supervising practicum/internship students. Her advising integrates clinical supervision with research mentorship focused on counselor identity development.