Natalia Palacios

Natalia Palacios serves as Associate Professor in the Education Leadership, Foundations & Policy department at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development, where she coordinates the Educational Psychology - Applied Developmental Sciences program.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. from Northwestern University (2009)
• M.A. from Northwestern University (2007)
• B.A. from Brown University (2001)

Her research investigates familial and instructional processes supporting children's academic and socio-emotional development during school transition and early elementary years, with specialized focus on minoritized backgrounds (Latino, Black, immigrant, English learner populations). She examines bilingual/dual language programming benefits and identifies malleable classroom factors promoting equity in educational outcomes.

Key affiliations include:

• Race and Public Education in the South initiative
• RULER efficacy project on school climate and teacher well-being
• Latino Siblings School Transition Project
• Dual Language Immersion research for EL and non-EL populations

Recognition includes:

• Virginia Education Science Training (VEST) Fellowship

As program coordinator, she oversees Ph.D., M.Ed., and B.S.Ed. degree pathways while advancing research on educational equity through family-school partnerships and bilingual pedagogy for diverse student populations.