Dr. Vega is a Professor in the School Psychology program at the University of Arizona. Her research, teaching, and service intersect to address the needs of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including multilingual learners.  

Dr. Vega’s research focuses on three primary areas: 1) Understanding bilingual school psychology training and practice; 2) Preparing school psychologists for culturally competent assessment and intervention practice; and 3) Building collaborations to advance college access and persistence. Dr. Vega was awarded a Spencer Foundation grant ($49,828) to examine school psychologists’ assessment practices with bilingual students within the context of Arizona’s restrictive English-only legislation.

Dr. Chieh Li is an associate professor in the School Psychology program at Northeastern University. As a bilingual psychologist, Dr. Li writes on bilingual and bicultural issues in the field of school and counseling psychology and addresses social justice issues that multilingual students encounter. Dr. Li’s research interests center on culturally sensitive intervention, acculturation, assessment of multilingual students, and mindfulness/meditation.

Her current projects are addressing two national and international needs: (A) Integrating mental health promotion in the classrooms to enhance both academic and psychological well-being, and (B) elevating mental health equity by creating culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate tools for diverse populations to improve access.

Dr. Peña is a school psychologist in the San Diego Unified School District. She has been a practicing school psychologist for 24 years. She earned her M.S. in School Psychology from San Diego State University and later completed her Ph.D in School Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Dr. Peña works full-time as a senior school psychologist, where she coordinates practicum and internship placements, and she also serves as an instructor in the School Psychology program at San Diego State. Her professional interests include bilingual school psychology, supervision, and the training and education of graduate students. Over the course of her career, Dr. Peña has worked across preschool, elementary, and secondary levels in diverse school systems in Maryland, Virginia, and California.

Dr. Kelly D. Carrasco is an Assistant Professor of School Psychology at Fresno State. She teaches across assessment, prevention and intervention, and practicum, embedding culturally responsive, bilingual/multilingual practices throughout instruction and supervision. Her scholarship focuses on ADHD, the use of virtual reality as an assessment context, and the links between language development and executive functioning. 

A Licensed Psychologist (CA, HI), Health Service Psychologist, and Nationally Certified School Psychologist, she lives in a multilingual (English–Japanese–Spanish) household and centers linguistic and cultural diversity in her work with students, schools, and communities.