Ruth Pilar Castillo Gualda

Ruth Pilar Castillo Gualda is a Professor at Camilo José Cela University’s School of Health and School of Education, holding dual appointments in the Department of Psychology. She currently serves as Director of Academic Design at the Vice-Rector's Office for Planning. With a PhD from the University of Málaga and postdoctoral training at the Autonomous University of Madrid and Yale University, she specializes in emotional intelligence, child/adolescent development, and school-based interventions.

Her professional career includes over 15 years of university teaching across Spain, including roles as Academic Director of the Master’s Degree in Innovation Management and Leadership in Education. She leads the Spanish implementation of Yale’s RULER Approach, an evidence-based social-emotional learning program, and advises on educational policy and teacher training across multiple countries.

Research focuses on emotional education efficacy, teacher wellbeing, and mental health promotion in educational settings. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles in journals like International Journal of Educational Psychology and Journal of Adolescence, co-authored two books on emotional intelligence, and directed nationally-funded research projects. Awards include the 2022 SEK Sustainability Award for refugee psychological support initiatives and the 2011 Martín Aldehuela Prize for educational innovation.

Teaching responsibilities include undergraduate programs in Psychology, Early Childhood Education, and Primary Education, as well as master’s programs in Cognitive Neuroscience and Education. She actively collaborates with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Emotions Laboratory (Málaga), and Madrid’s Personality-Stress-Health research group.