Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez

Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University, affiliated with the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. Her expertise spans Latinx mental health, cultural adaptation of interventions, multicultural psychology, and ethics. She leads research addressing health disparities through culturally responsive evidence-based practices, with over $11.3 million in grant funding since 2003. Dr. Rodríguez chairs doctoral dissertations, mentoring 25 students—many from underrepresented backgrounds—to advance health equity scholarship.

Her teaching focuses on multiculturalism and diversity in psychology and physician assistant studies, emphasizing evidence-based training for culturally competent practitioners. She has developed systematic approaches to education at both undergraduate and graduate levels, as seen in her work with Alvarez & Domenech Rodríguez (2020) and Phelps et al. (2021). Leadership roles include steering the National Latinx Psychological Association and Psi Chi, advocating for inclusive research practices and ethical standards in human research protections.

Publications highlight her contributions to cultural adaptation theory (Bernal & Domenech Rodríguez, 2012), meta-analyses of intervention impacts (Soto et al., 2018), and parenting interventions for Latinx communities (Amador Buenabad et al., 2019). Her work is recognized by an h-index of 40 and i-10 index of 88, reflecting significant scholarly influence in reducing disparities through culturally attuned practices.