Paul R. Hernandez

Dr. Paul R. Hernandez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture and the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on contextual factors, mentorship, and identity development to broaden participation in STEM for underrepresented groups. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut, an M.A. in Experimental Psychology from California State University San Marcos, and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California Santa Barbara.

His research interests include motivation in education, mentorship strategies, and social influence mechanisms. He leads the Motivation and Learning Lab, which studies interventions to support self-regulated learning and academic persistence. Major projects include NIH and NSF-funded studies on identity balance, culturally affirming pathways for Native scholars, and mentorship networks in STEM.

Dr. Hernandez teaches graduate courses in research methods, statistics, and educational psychology. His work has been published in journals such as Contemporary Educational Psychology and Journal of Educational Psychology. He has received grants from NIH and NSF to develop programs like PROGRESS mentoring and the Tiny Earth CURE initiative.

His research highlights the role of mentorship and identity alignment in STEM retention, particularly for marginalized groups. He emphasizes culturally affirming approaches and social inclusion interventions to diversify STEM fields.