Yolanda C. Padilla

Yolanda C. Padilla is a Professor in the School of Social Work and Women’s Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, where she serves as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs. She holds a PhD from the University of Michigan and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.

• Education: BA, BSW, MSW from UT Austin; PhD in Social Work and Sociology from University of Michigan

Her research focuses on racial and ethnic disparities in health and well-being, particularly for Mexican American children and families, poverty, immigration, and social welfare policy. She has contributed extensively to understanding the impact of socioeconomic conditions on child health and development through studies like the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study.

Recent publications analyze bullying behavior linked to economic hardship, immigration status effects on farmworker wages, and transnational narratives in Chicana/o literary criticism. Her work also explores gender, family dynamics, and social determinants of adolescent health.

• Outstanding Research Award (Society for Social Work and Research, 2002)
• Lora Lee Pederson Teaching Excellence Award (UT Austin, 2000)
• Fellow, American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare

Padilla has developed courses on poverty policy analysis and LGBT populations in social work practice. She actively engages in community service, focusing on gay rights organizing and policy advocacy for marginalized groups.