Julian Mendez
FULL-TIME FacultyAssociate Professor
Phone: 801.832.2415
Email: jmendez@westminsteru.edu
Office Location: Foster Hall 306
Office Hours: MW 9:00–10:00 a.m.
Degrees
Ph.D. University of Arizona
M.A. University of Arizona
B.A. Eastern Washington University
About
I received my PhD in Educational Psychology at the University of Arizona with a dual specialization in learning theories and research methodology, measurement, and statistics. Prior to attending the University of Arizona, I earned my bachelor?s degree at Eastern Washington University with a major in Education and a minor in Counseling, Educational, and Developmental Psychology. RESEARCH: As a multicultural scholar, my first line of work broadly examines the way in which Latinx and first-generation students experience social and systemic barriers within our education system that adversely affect learning, motivation, development, and persistence. Further, I also study the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve learning, social belonging, and academic outcomes for these populations. In another line of work, I also examine issues related to peer-victimization in K-16 education systems, specifically as it relates to racism and toxic masculinity. My work has been published in journals such as the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, Review of Higher Education, and the Psychology of Violence. TEACHING: I teach several courses within my department including: Introduction to Psychology, Lifespan Development, Learning, Memory, and Motivation, Multicultural Psychology, Psychology of Masculinities, and Quantitative Research Methods SERVICE: My service work reflects my commitment as a scholar to being a publicly-engaged academic, translating my academic work into the public realm. Most recently, I founded and began coordinating the Legacy STEPS program at Westminster College. The program strives to recruit and retain high achieving first-generation and underrepresented transfer students from local community colleges by fostering academic and social integration, and family and community engagement. I also serve as the academic coordinator of the entire Legacy Program at Westminster College.
