Background

I am an Assistant Professor in Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. I earned my PhD from the Psychology Department at the University of California, Los Angeles, with a concentration in Developmental Psychology and a minor in Diversity Science. After my doctoral degree, I completed a NIDA (National Institute of Drug Abuse) T32 Postdoc at the REACH (Research and Education Advancing Children’s Health) Institute in Psychology at Arizona State University. A Chicago-native, I completed my undergraduate degree with a major in psychology with a concentration in community psychology and minors in Latin American/Latino Studies, religion, and Spanish at DePaul University. 

During my graduate career, I was funded by the Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship and an NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Diversity Supplement. I have served in several mentoring programs for underrepresented students, such as the Leadership Alliance National Symposium, Millennium Scholars Program, and have served for several elected SRCD (Society for Research in Child Development) positions: Latino Caucus student Representative, Technology Officer, and the SECC (Student And Early Career Council) Representative on the Equity and Justice Committee. 

Research
With the goal of addressing educational disparities, my research focuses on engaging Latino families in educational systems such as schools, after-school activities, and evidence-based interventions. I have employed multiple methodologies (e.g., quantitative [longitudinal, multilevel, latent profile analyses], qualitative, and geographic information systems) towards the goal of understanding contextual factors that promote academic resilience. 

I recently participated in the NSF I-Corps Program to learn how business science models can inform the broad dissemination of evidence-based interventions in low-income schools and CHIPS (Child, Intervention, Prevention & Services), a training consortium focused on grant applications for NICHD. In the future, I would like to adapt an evidence-based intervention developed with low-income Mexican-origin families to a self-paced web-based technology that can be facilitated with a group of parents in a trusted community setting.

Publications

Thamrin, H., Winslow, E. B., Camacho-Thompson, D. E., Smola, X. A., Cruz, A. M., Perez, V. M., Hidalgo, S. G., Tein, J. Y., & Gonzales, N. A. Predictors of caregiver participation in an engagement strategy to increase initiation into a family-based preventive intervention. Prevention Science. (in press). doi: 10.1007/s11121-021-01242-7

Camacho-Thompson, D. E., & Simpkins. S. D. (2020). Parental involvement in organized after-school activities and adolescent motivational beliefs and engagement. Journal of Applied Developmental Science. 1-16. doi: 10.1080/10888691.2020.1750400

Camacho-Thompson, D. E., Gonzales, N. A., & Tein, J. Y. (2019). Parental academic involvement across adolescence contextualized by gender and parenting practices. School Psychology, 34(4), 386-397. doi: 10.1037/spq0000319

Camacho-Thompson, D. E., Gonzales, N., & Fuligni, A. J. (2019). Adolescent academic socialization: a within-group comparative analysis among Mexican-origin families. Journal of Adolescent Research, 34(4), 411-437. doi: 10.1177/0743558418772590

Camacho-Thompson, D. E., & Vargas, R. (2018). Organized community activity participation and the dynamic roles of neighborhood violence and gender among Latino adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 62(1-2), 87-100. doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12267

Knifsend, C. A., Camacho-Thompson, D. E., Juvonen, J., & Graham, S. (2018). Activity-related friendships, school-related affect, and academic outcomes in diverse middle schools. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47, 1208-1220. doi: 10.1007/s10964-018-0817-6

Camacho-Thompson, D. E., Gillen-O’Neel, C., Gonzales, N., & Fuligni, A. J. (2016). Financial strain, major family life events, and parental academic involvement. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45, 1065-1074. doi: 10.1007/s10964-016-0443-0

Camacho, D. E., & Fuligni, A. J. (2015). Extracurricular participation among adolescents from immigrant families. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44, 1251-1262. doi: 10.1007/s10964-014-0105-z

Teaching
Research Methods in Psychology PSY 3040
Introduction to Psychological Science PSY 2000

External Links

Policy Brief and Blogs

1. Mitigating the Implications of Coronavirus Pandemic on Families Issue 8 | Research to Policy Collaboration
2. Mitigating the Implications of Coronavirus Pandemic on Families Issue 6 | Research to Policy Collaboration
3. Encouraged to Excel, but How? | Public Health Post
4. How Diverse Are Your Friends? Calculating access to diverse peers. | Psychology Today Post
5. The Science is Clear: Separating Families has Long-term Damaging Psychological and Health Consequences for Children, Families, and Communities | SRCD Policy Brief
6. La ciencia es clara: La Separación de las Familias tiene Consecuencias Psicológicas y de Salud a Largo Plazo Perjudiciales para la Niñez, las Familias, y las Comunidades
7. March for Science | SRCD Latino Caucus Post

Media

• Minor Violation | Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting
• For high school seniors, return to campus is a trip back in time | Los Angeles Times
• U.S. detained migrant children for far longer than previously known | Los Angeles Times | Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting
• An Adolescence Seized | Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting NPR PRX
• ​La elección presidencial está estresando a la comunidad, según la Asociación Americana de Psicología | Telemundo52
• The Disappeared | Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting
• Pew Research Center Study Finds Support For Increased Legal Immigration | NPR 
• ASU officials discuss harmful effects on children detained at the US-Mexico border | State Press