معرفی
Vera Lopez is a Professor and Associate Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University (ASU). Her work focuses on the intersecting social positions of Latina girls within youth institutions like juvenile justice, residential treatment, and schools. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and has conducted post-doctoral research at ASU’s REACH Institute. Key affiliations include the Chicano/Latino Faculty and Staff Association (2017-2018) and editorial roles with Feminist Criminology and Sociology Compass.
Education includes a doctorate in Educational Psychology (UT Austin), clinical internship at the University of Illinois-Chicago, and multiple advanced degrees in program evaluation and psychology. Her research explores Latina girls’ experiences in juvenile justice systems, sports participation barriers, and participatory action research with system-impacted youth. Funded projects include a Spencer Foundation initiative on youth advocacy and an ASU Global Sport Institute study on Latina girls and sports.
Research interests emphasize intersectionality, systemic injustice, and marginalized youth resilience. Recent publications address cultural tyranny in legal systems, gendered sports exclusion, and transnational frameworks for crimmigration. She critiques stereotypes impacting Latina girls while advocating for equitable policies and youth-led solutions.
Grants include major funding from the Spencer Foundation and ASU’s Global Sport Institute. Her work bridges academia and activism, with a focus on transforming juvenile justice and educational systems through participatory methods. Labs/teams include collaborations with system-impacted youth and interdisciplinary teams addressing criminological and sociological issues.
