Meet the Team
Monica E. Romero, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Romero is an Assistant Professor in the combined School/Clinical Child Psychology program at the University of Texas at Austin. She/Ella graduated from the University of Missouri School Psychology program. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Santa Barbara Psychological Internship Consortium (SBPIC) in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
Dr. Romero’s research focuses on four lines of inquiry: (1) developing and evaluating culturally and linguistically responsive interventions with a focus on academic, social-emotional learning, and mental health for emergent bilingual/multilingual learners and Latiné/x students; (2) investigating multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) and data-based decision making (DBDM) in schools; (3) family-school-community collaboration practices for newcomer students and families; and (4) training of bilingual school psychologists.
Dr. Romero is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and is passionate about working with school and communities to support the Latine/x and multilingual community.
Mariana Davila
Graduate Student
Mariana Davila is pursuing her Doctoral degree in the School/Clinical Child Psychology program at the University of Texas at Austin. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and a Specialization degree in School Psychology from Texas State University.
Before embarking on her doctoral journey, Mariana served as a bilingual School Psychologist, where her experiences ignited a passion for promoting equity within special education for the culturally diverse community. Her research interests now center around enhancing the cultural competence of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) processes, interventions, and services. Outside of her academic pursuits, Mariana finds joy in spending quality time with her family and taking leisurely walks with her dog.
Elizabeth Camarena
Project Coordinator
Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and holds three Bachelor’s degrees in Early Childhood Development, Sociology, and Youth and Community Studies. She serves as the Central Texas Program Coordinator for a local non-profit organization, Girlstart, which oversees partnerships with AISD and HCISD schools. Elizabeth has been in the educational and child advocacy space for many years and is applying to Education PhD programs for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Callie Strickland
Graduate Student
Callie Strickland is an accomplished educator with a Bachelor of Science degree in Bilingual Education from Texas A&M University (2015). Her passion for teaching has taken her on a journey spanning diverse classrooms, from teaching Pre-K through 6th grade in Madrid, Spain, to her recent role as a 2nd-grade Dual Language teacher in Austin ISD.
Callie has demonstrated strong leadership skills throughout her career, serving as a team lead from 2020 to 2023. Her dedication and excellence in the classroom were recognized when she was honored as Teacher of the Year at McBee Elementary School in 2022. Beyond the classroom, Callie has also positively impacted her community by serving as a local Girl Scout troop leader and providing valuable Spanish tutoring to middle school and high school students.
Callie is thrilled to be a part of the TRACCS program as she embarks on the Master’s program to become a School Psychologist. In Fall 2024, Callie will begin her practicum in Del Valle Independent School District in Austin, Texas.
Valerie Rodriguez
Undergraduate Student
My name is Valerie. I’m an undergrad at UT Austin, majoring in Kinesiology Exercise Science and minoring in Healthcare Reform and Innovation. I am pursuing a career in occupational therapy, focusing on the Latine/x community to raise awareness about the profession and aid in destigmatizing disabilities.
Isabela Robledo
Undergraduate Student
Isabela is a junior psychology major starting a poetry certificate. She intends to be a therapist and is very excited to learn more about child development through her involvement in this lab.
Ximena Castro
Undergraduate Student
My name is Ximena, and I am a senior at UT Austin. I am majoring in psychology with a minor in business and public policy. I plan to pursue a career in industrial psychology, and I am interested in researching the use of predictive analytics in workforce planning and management.
Monique Dave
Undergraduate Student
Monique is a senior undergraduate student on the pre-medicine track at UT Austin, majoring in kinesiology with a minor in French and a certificate in Spanish for pre-health professions. Her background, including growing up bilingual and moving to the U.S. from Spain at the age of nine, allows her to empathize deeply with students who may struggle to find their place in a new environment. Monique is particularly passionate about working with children of all ages, and she finds the study of socioemotional development fascinating.
Interested in joining our research team?