Dr. Carlos Santos

Biography

Carlos E. Santos is an Associate Professor in the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, specializing in Social Welfare. He holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology from New York University and a Master of Education from Harvard University. His research primarily focuses on the developmental outcomes related to ethnic-racial, gender, and sexual minority identities, utilizing an intersectional approach. Professor Santos employs developmental theories and empirical methodologies to study how identities are formed, developed, and changed over time, with a particular emphasis on Latinx youth. He has explored the legal consciousness of Latinx youth and their development in socially and politically hostile environments.<br>His empirical contributions have been recognized as pioneering in the field, with notable publications such as the Child Development article by Jugert et al. (2020) that examines the effects of peer networks on ethnic-racial identity. He has received multiple early career awards from national professional associations for his research. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Santos is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Forum on Children’s Well-Being and serves as a principal grant reviewer for the Department of Education/IES and as an ad hoc reviewer for the NSF. He co-edited the book 'Studying Ethnic Identity: Methodological and Conceptual Approaches Across Disciplines', published by the American Psychological Association Press in 2015.

Research Interests