Wendy de los Reyes, Ph.D.
Department
Areas of Expertise
Biography
Wendy de los Reyes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Science at Claremont McKenna College and the Director of the AMPLIFY Lab (Advocacy, Mentorship, and Participatory research with Latinx Immigrant Families and Youth). Visit this website to learn about our latest project. We're recruiting new lab members!
Dr. de los Reyes' research program adopts a strengths-based approach to examining the development of Latinx and immigrant-origin adolescents. She explores three interrelated lines of inquiry: 1) How youth resist structural inequities through supportive mentoring relationships, 2) How adults partner in youth-led social change, and 3) How institutions expand youth voice to address social inequities. She grounds her work in cultural-ecological systems theory to conceptualize development as an ongoing reciprocal process between the individual’s characteristics and those of their surrounding environments, from their immediate context (e.g., family, school) to broader policies and societal influences. This theoretical grounding informs how she examines youth-adult relationships within youth-serving settings, such as schools and community organizations, shaped by macro-level contexts (e.g., racism, adultism, xenophobia).
Much of her work is contextualized by her identity as an immigrant, a Latina, and a first-generation college student. She migrated to the U.S. from Cuba at the age of 6, and grew up in a diverse immigrant community in Miami, Florida. She is a native Spanish and English speaker. In her free time, Wendy likes to roam around parks with her two sons, dog, and husband.
Teaching Interests
Community Psychology, Latinx Youth Development, Youth Civic Leadership, Research Methods
Research Interests
Youth sociopolitical development; youth mentoring; Latinx families; immigrant/refugee adjustment
Education
B.S.Ed., M.S.Ed., University of Miami; Ph.D., DePaul University
Awards and Affiliations
Society for Research in Child Development - Latinx Caucus: Dissertation Award
Professional Affiliations:
- Society for Community Research & Action (APA Div 27)
- Society for Research on Adolescence
- Society for Research in Child Development
- Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice
Research and Publications
Select Publications (see Google Scholar for full list)
de los Reyes, W., Sánchez, B., Draper, C., & Barraza, R. (Forthcoming). To help or hinder: The role of nonparental adults in the sociopolitical development of immigrant-origin Latinx emerging adults. Journal of Adolescent Research.
de los Reyes, W., Rehman, A., Aragula, S., & Saw, A. (2025). Building a home in Chicago: Integration and mental health in a newcomer Rohingya refugee community. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 31(2), 199-208. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000626
de los Reyes, W., Ferrera, M.J., Hwang, S., Álvarez Silva, R., Quarfoot, K., Hasan, K., & Salusky, I. (2023). University-community collaborations: A vehicle for capacity building and mutual learning within an immigrant mental health coalition. Collaborations: A Journal of Community-Based Research and Practice, 6(1), 1-10.https://doi.org/10.33596/coll.111
Sánchez, B., Garcia-Murillo, Y., Monjaras-Gaytan, L.Y., Thursby, K., Ulerio, G., de los Reyes, W., Salusky, I., & Rivera, C.(2022). Everyday acts of resistance: How Mexican immigrant youth with undocumented status navigate oppression in their education through the support of mentors. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 32(2), 398-416. http://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12755
de los Reyes, W., Sánchez, B., Polo, A., Quiroz, A., Thursby, K., O’Donnell, A., & Monjaras-Gaytan, L.Y. (2022). Mentoring Latinx children and adolescents: A systematic review. Adolescent Research Review, 7(1), 79-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-021-00156-3
Sánchez, B., Mroczkowski, A., Flores, L., de los Reyes, W., Rasgado-Flores, H., & Ruiz, J. (2022). How mentors contribute to Latinx youth’s social capital in the sciences. Journal of Adolescent Research, 37(1), 128-161. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558420985454
Monjaras-Gaytan, L.Y., Sánchez, B., Anderson, A.J., McGarity-Palmer, R., Garcia-Murillo, Y., & de los Reyes, W. (2021). Act, talk, reflect, then act: The role of natural mentors in the critical consciousness of ethnically/racially diverse college students. American Journal of Community Psychology, 68(3-4), 292-309. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12517