Frances is a fifth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program and the lead research assistant in the Multicultural Clinical Lab at UTRGV. Frances graduated from University of Texas-Pan American, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a double minor in Chemistry and Spanish. After this, Frances completed a Master of Arts in Experimental Psychology with a strong emphasis on Behavior Analysis at UTPA and a Master of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. After graduation, Frances taught college-level Psychology courses at different academic institutions. In addition to her academic positions, Frances has worked too as a mental health professional, providing direct services to adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses. Now, as a doctoral student under the mentorship of Dr. Alfonso Mercado, her research focuses on the study of trauma and resilience among recently immigrated families from the Northern Triangle region of Central America. Another major focus of Frances’ research is on multicultural mental health and treatment effectiveness with culturally diverse groups. I am particularly interested in developing culturally congruent treatments for Latinxs and individuals experiencing multiple marginalized identities. Furthermore, some of her current research efforts are devoted to exploring ways to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts within psychology departments to improve the academic outcomes of Latinx students in higher education. During her free time, Frances enjoys being physically active and spending time with her loved ones.