Sarah Rendón García

Sarah Rendón García is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on the intersection of immigration studies, developmental psychology, and social justice, examining how U.S. immigration policies affect the cognitive, social, and emotional development of immigrant children and families. She employs interdisciplinary methods prioritizing community voices, particularly in mixed-status households.

Educational Background:

• Ph.D., Education (Human Development, Learning, and Teaching), Harvard University
• Ed.M., Prevention Science and Practice, Harvard Graduate School of Education
• B.A., Psychology and French, College of the Holy Cross

Research Themes:

• Familial Strategies: How families mitigate negative impacts of undocumented status on child development.
• Immigration Socialization: Children’s understanding of “illegality” and U.S. policies.
• Caregiver-Child Relationships: Influence of relationship quality on meaning-making in mixed-status families.

Her work emphasizes geographical contexts, sociopolitical ecologies, and perimigration experiences.

Publications: Recent work explores maternal communication about immigration status, unaccompanied immigrant youth in schools, and policy impacts on health access. Themes across her scholarship include legal system interactions, DACA’s societal role, and community-based interventions.

Advising & Grants: No specific grants or students listed, though her research implies advocacy for policy-informed interventions. Lab affiliations or teams are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.