Special Education
Doctoral candidate Cinthia B. Herrera’s primary research interest centers on Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students who are at risk for reading disabilities, with a particular focus on the at-home literacy practices of CLD families. Her passion for this work is deeply rooted in her personal experiences as a bilingual student and her extensive work with immigrant families and bilingual learners. These experiences have shaped her commitment to designing effective supports for CLD students, fostering their language development, and understanding the dynamics within immigrant households. Additionally, she is dedicated to addressing the unique stressors faced by child language brokers (LBs) and to promoting a culture of health within Latino families. Her research aims to develop parent-implemented reading programs that enhance children’s language skills while increasing parental literacy knowledge within CLD communities. She is currently a GRA for MITOS and MELVA-S and a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Priscilla Pond Flawn Child and Family Lab at the University of Texas at Austin.
Outside of academia, Cinthia enjoys yoga, hiking, K-pop, K-dramas, J-pop, anime, and cooking. She is a passionate advocate for healthy nutrition and mental health care.