Hi, I'm Yamanda. Welcome to my portfolio.

I’m a social scientist with a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Texas at Austin (2014) and a B.A. in social psychology from Stanford (2007). I lead mixed-methods research toward building a world that better serves the needs and dreams of Black people and other marginalized groups. 

I’m passionate about using data to reform laws and policies that disproportionately affect children of color, such as school district policies that push Black and Latinx students into the juvenile justice system. My independent research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, technical reports, and books, recently including Child Development Perspectives and Advances in Child Development and Behavior, and has received funding from the American Psychological Foundation's Kenneth B. and Mamie P. Clark Fund.

I’m also passionate about teaching psychology and statistics at the college level. I was an Adjunct Professor at Texas State University and Instructor at the University of Texas at Austin, where I taught Introduction to Child Psychology as well as upper-division courses such as Adolescent Psychology and Research Methods.