RAICES Lab

Research-based Approaches to Improving Children's Educational outcomeS

RAICES (ruh-EE-ces) means “roots” in Spanish and embodies a profound significance regarding one's identity and cultural heritage. For our lab, it is an analogy for considering Latine families’ early learning development and the roles that cultural practices play.

Mission

To foster a love of learning, culture, and community using the power of applied research to improve meaningful outcomes for Latine children by supporting educators, families, and communities through cultural practices and everyday routines.

Lab Team

Sasha L. Albrecht, M.A

Sasha is a Ph.D. student in the Psychology Department in the core area of Applied Developmental Psychology and Education at Portland State University. Sasha received both her bachelor’s in Psychology and Spanish (double major) and her master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Portland State University. During her graduate studies, Sasha conducted research examining the intersection of race and gender in sports reporting using corpus analysis. She spent five years teaching English to young learners in South Korea, where she also worked as a teacher trainer, leading workshops on culturally responsive teaching, communicative language teaching, and cognitive approaches to language learning. Sasha is now interested in conducting research examining the impacts of bilingualism and issues of race and gender discrimination on child development and academic performance.

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Jonathan Ramirez, B.A.

Jonathan is an incoming Ph.D student in the core area of Applied Developmental Psychology and Education at Portland State University. Jonathan received his BA in English from the University of Utah and has completed graduate coursework in applied psychology at Pacific University. Jonathan has worked with Latine families as a workshop facilitator for parents, providing them with culturally relevant communication and emotional tools to facilitate a supportive home environment. Jonathan is interested in examining Latine familial protective factors related to children and youths’ resilience, emotional development, health, and well-being. His career focuses on building culturally relevant social-emotional learning materials for Latine families. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys reading, writing, visiting the dog park with his husky, Evy, and playing cello.

Research Assistants

Research Assistant (RA) responsibilities may include collecting data, transcribing and coding transcriptions, preparing data collection materials, and participating in community-engaged research experiences. Interested in joining the lab? Please fill out this contact form.

Bayler Brundage

Bayler Brundage is an undergraduate student at Portland State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. In working in the RAICES lab, she hopes to deepen her understanding and help others explore more about cultural, socioeconomic, and educational impacts on child development, specifically in Latinx and other communities of color. Some of her interests include exploring child development and psychological aspects, as well as their relationship with education experience, culture, and gender identity.

Elizabeth Serna, B.A.

Elizabeth Serna is a recent B.A. graduate in Psychology with a minor in Spanish. Her interests include working with Latinx families to understand the dynamics of education and socialization within households, exploring adolescent identity formation, and examining coping mechanisms. As a first-generation Latina, she aims to gain knowledge that respects, honors, and is transparent with the community and produces knowledge that will better serve her community. Elizabeth is currently an RA for the RAICES Lab, under Dr. Beltrán-Grimm's supervision, assisting in mixed-methods research projects with Latine families and the CRM Lab under the supervision of Dr. Diamond Bravo and in collaboration with Dr. Bernadette Pinetta.

Liz Romero-Herrera

Liz Romero-Herrera is a current student at Portland State University pursuing a B.A. in psychology with a minor in Art Practice. Liz’s interests include working with children, exploring art’s place within psychology, and working with Latino families. Liz is currently an RA for the RAICES Lab, under Dr. Beltrán-Grimm’s supervision, assisting in mixed-methods research projects with Latino families and working on an undergraduate thesis: a children’s book for Latino boys.

Ph.D’s (Phurry Doggies)

Baloo & Mowgli

Zeus

Buster

Evy

Lab Alumni

Alejandra Bermudez, MA, RA in 2024.

Diana Romano, BA, RA in 2024. PhD student, School of Education - University of California, Irvine

Prospective Graduate Students

Our goal is for families to recognize their everyday practices, support their children's playful, authentic learning, and build community partnerships that enrich everyone's well-being. I invite you to explore further how our goals align. If you are interested in applying, you are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Beltrán-Grimm to learn more about the lab.

Prospective Students

I am accepting PhD students for Fall 2026. I accept prospective students interested in the core area of applied developmental science and education. Given my research direction, prospective students interested in interdisciplinary research focusing on early childhood and families are a good fit for the lab. You may find more information about my research here.

Contextual Factors

(1) I aim to understand factors (e.g., school, community, home, culture, technology, and media use) influencing children's development and parenting experiences of low-income and minoritized parents of young children. I'll be working on an ethnography exploring oral language in Spanish-speaking families.

Research Program

My current research addresses pressing issues in early childhood development, including integrating math, media, and technology in education. I am interested in the cultural nuances of learning and teaching, aiming to create inclusive, effective educational strategies, specifically in Spanish-speaking Latine families. My research program involves the following:

Participatory Methods

(2) I use participatory research methodologies to promote equity in collaboration and develop tools and resources that support cultural sustainability crafted alongside communities. Here are examples of the resources and content, bilingual, multimedia tools, resources, Designing Family Math Report, I developed working for PBS SoCal.

Gallery

If you’d like more information, get in touch today.

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