Curriculum Vitae
DINA C. CASTRO, MPH, Ph.D.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Address: 4227 Boxwood Dr. Email:
Denton, TX 76208 Phone: 919-260-2029 (cel)
1. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Degrees and Professional Licenses
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Degree/ Year
Institution/Location License Conferred Major
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ph.D. 1996 Education, concentration:
Special Education
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate 1996 Latin American
Certificate Studies
The University of Alabama at Birmingham M.P.H. 1986 Public Health
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia Professional 1986 Clinical and
License Community Psychology
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia B.Sc. 1984 Psychology
______
Other Education
2005 Salzburg Seminar Session 428: Early Childhood Development: Improving Linkages between Research, Practice and Policy. Salzburg, Austria. Oct. 5-12.
2000. BRIDGES: Leadership Program for Women in the Academia. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Division of Continuing Education. (September-December).
1999. National Coalition Building Institute, Diversity Train-the-Trainer Workshop. December 7-9, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
1995 Seminar on Program Evaluation offered by The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University (October –November).
1990 Course "Strategic Planning in Health Services". Health Administration Program. Graduate School of the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Peru. Sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
1989 Seminar "Toward a Child Care Policy in Peru". Organized by the Working Group on Urban Services and Low Income Women. Lima, Peru.
1988 Course on “Primary Health Care: Theory and Practice”. Multidisciplinary Primary Health Care Program. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Peru.
2. PROFESIONAL EXPERIENCE / EMPLOYMENT
2014-Present Professor (tenured) and Velma E. Schmidt Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Education, College of Education, University of North Texas.
2015, 2016 & Visiting Professor, Pontifícia Universidad Católica del Perú (June-July, 2015; June-August, 2016; 2017 June-July, 2017).
2015-Present Graduate Faculty, College of Education, University of North Texas.
2014-Present Affiliate faculty, Latino/a and Mexican American Studies (LMAS) Program, College of Arts and Science, University of North Texas.
2013-2014 Research Professor of Early Childhood Education, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University.
2010-2013 Senior Research Scientist, FPG Child Development Institute, UNC-Chapel Hill.
2012-2013 Research Professor of Early Childhood Education, School of Education, UNC-Chapel Hill
2009-2013 Graduate faculty, Division of Speech and Hearing, School of Medicine, UNC-Chapel Hill.
2009-2013 Affiliate faculty, Curriculum in Global Studies, UNC-Chapel Hill
2006-2012 Research Associate Professor, School of Education, UNC-Chapel Hill.
2005-2010 Scientist, FPG Child Development Institute, UNC-Chapel Hill.
1998-2005 Investigator, FPG Child Development Institute, UNC-Chapel Hill.
2003 Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (to teach the course “Working with socio-culturally diverse children and families”) (July-December).
1997-1998 Research Associate, FPG Child Development Center, UNC-Chapel Hill.
1997. Graduate Research Assistant, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
1995. Consultant to teach the graduate course “Introduction to Exceptional Children with Limited English Proficiency”, School of Education, UNC-Chapel Hill.
1995. Graduate Research Assistant, Institute of Latin American Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
1991. Assistant Professor, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Department of Psychology. Lima, Peru.
- Coordinator of the Psychology Internship Program, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
- Principal Investigator, “Home-based community day care in Canto Grande”. Grant from W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. (Award: $55,000).
- Co-director of the Community Development Project “Tambo de Canto Grande”. Grant from the German International Cooperation (GTZ). Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. ($75,000).
- Coordinator of Woman and Child Development Program, Primary Health Care Project, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. Grant from W. K. Kellogg Foundation. (Award: $1,500,000).
3. AWARDS & HONORS
Policy contributions
- Member at Large (elected) of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Governing Board, the largest professional organization for early childhood care and education in the United States. Member of the Early Learning Systems sub-committee. June, 2017- May, 2021.
- Member (inducted) of the Organización Mundial para la Educación Pre-escolar (OMEP) (World Organization for Preschool Education) – Peru Chapter. March, 2017.
- Presented at two Congressional Briefings sharing research findings and policy implications of the work of the Center for Early Care and Education Research: Dual Language Learners. Sponsored by Representative Raúl Grijalva (Arizona) and Senator Patty Murray (Washington). May 14th, 2013.
- Nominated to apply for the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director of the Office of English Language Acquisition of the U.S. Department of Education as part of President Barak Obama’s administration. 2010 (decided not to apply to continue research career).
- Advisor to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on early education needs of dual language learners and Latino children and their families. 2009.
- Invited by the President-Elect’s Education Policy Transition Team to submit a brief with recommendations for early childhood initiatives to promote development and learning among young English language learners. 2008.
Grant review panels
- Grant Review Panel, Biobehavioral and Behavioral Sciences Subcommittee, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2012-2015; 2016-2018).
- Grant Review Panel for the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL), Discovery Research K-12 ( DRK-12) program. National Science Foundation (2014).
Media presence
- WebTV series “Un buen comienzo” [A good start] and “La primera infancia primero” [The early years first]. Dr. Castro was invited by Sagalú TV, a non-profit organization in Perú to discuss the topic of “Diversity in Early Care and Education”. This programming is part of a national network for teacher professional development. Available in http://www.salgalu.tv/vervideo/La%20diversidad%20en%20la%20educacion%20inicial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmtpGhLF6bc
- Research Series Video by the University of North Texas featuring Dr. Castro’s international research
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=731HSn64TR8
- Research interview published at Investiga CISE. Bulletin of the Center for Education Research and Services at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP). October, 2016 (p. 2-3).
http://cise.pucp.edu.pe/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/OctubreBolet%C3%ADnInvestigaCISE.pdf
- Press release at the website of the Pontifícia Universidad Católica del Perú about Dr. Castro’s visiting scholar appointment posted on August 12th, 2016.
http://departamento.pucp.edu.pe/educacion/noticias/visita-de-la-dra-dina-castro/
- Press Conference with national media, and a Policy Forum at the National Press Club at Washington, DC, to share research findings and policy recommendations for providing high quality early education to dual language learners (birth-five years of age). May 14th, 2013.
- News magazine coverage: Dual Language in Early Education Best for Youngest ELLs, Report Says. By Lesli A. Maxwell on May 14, 2013 10:29 AM. Education Week. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2013/05/dual_language_in_early_educati.html
- National television interview: Invited by UNIVISION, the US largest Spanish television channel, to participate in the program “Estudiante Único”. An hour-long program in which a panel of experts on bilingual development and early education of Latino children was interviewed. The program was broadcasted nationally as part of UNIVISION’s campaing to promote the educational success of Latino children and youth. March 6th, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBkG0oggCbw
- Video interview: "Supporting Language and Literacy Development for Young English Language Learners through Evidence Based Instructional Practices" at the Kansas In-service Training Institute. Summer institute 2010. Available online.
Faculty award nominations (at University of North Texas)
- Nominated by the Teacher Education and Administration Department for the University Distinguished Research Professorship Award 2017.
- Nominated by the Teacher Education and Administration Department for the College of Education Senior Researcher Award 2016.
Study / travel awards
- Travel award for conference presentation from the Institute of Latin American Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1997.
- Doctoral Traineeship from the School of Education, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1994.
- Kellogg Foundation Fellowship for doctoral studies in Education at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1992-1995.
- J. Sparkman Center Fellowship for Master in Public Health studies at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. 1984-1986.
4. EXPERIENCE IN RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION
- Principal Investigator of the study “Intercultural Education: A Case Study with Shipibo Communities from the Amazon in Lima and Ucayali”, a collaborative study with Nora Cépeda and Pilar Lamas, faculty in the Department of Education at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (2016-2017).
- Principal investigator for the project “Improving Teacher Preparation across Borders” (Ricardo Gonzalez & Rossana Boyd, Co-PIs) (2017-2018) funded by The Charn Uswachoke International Development Fund through the UNT International Office. (Award: $4,600). In collaboration with faculty from the Universidad de Guadalajara and Secretariat of Education of Jalisco, Mexico.
- Principal Investigator of the Early Care and Education Research Scholars: Head Start Graduate Student Research Grant (2010-2012) funded by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to mentor Ms. Lucia Mendez during the completion of her dissertation research. (Award: $50,000).
- Principal Investigator / Director of the “Center for Early Care and Education Research: Dual Language Learners” (CECER-DLL) (2009-2014) funded by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The primary goal of the CECER-DLL is to advance the research field to improve assessment, child care, and education for dual language learners (DLLs) from birth through five years of age. This is a national research center working in collaboration with over 30 DLL experts and managing 7 subcontracts with universities and research organizations from across the country (Award: $4,500,000). http://cecerdll.fpg.unc.edu/
- Principal Investigator for the project “Nuestros Niños Program: Promoting School Readiness for English
Language Learners” (2009-2014) funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to study the efficacy of an intervention to promote
school readiness in Spanish-speaking preschool dual language learners. This is a randomized controlled, longitudinal study being conducted in California, Florida and North Carolina (Award: $3,472,521). http://nnrp.fpg.unc.edu/
- Principal Investigator for the project “Choices of Care Among Low-Income Working Families: A Study of
Latino families in the New South” (2007-2011) funded by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Administration for Children and Families to study family and program characteristics related to Latino families’
choices of care, and the quality of practices in the early childhood programs they utilized. The study interviewed Latino immigrant parents, and conducted observations in centers and family child care homes in three regions of North Carolina (Award: $800,000). http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~latino_ccc/
- Principal Investigator for the project “Growing Healthy Kids: Evaluation of a community intervention to prevent childhood obesity among Latino children” (2009-2011) pilot project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (in collaboration with the Orange County Partnership for Young Children). Latino families participated in community gardens, nutrition classes and events to promote physical activity (Award: $70,000).
- Co-Principal Investigator for the “Evaluation of Cradling Literacy in Children in Kentucky: Project CLICK” funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Early Childhood Educator Professional Development (2007-2010) to assess the effectiveness of a literacy-focused professional development intervention on teacher practices and children’s school readiness outcomes (Total budget: $1,024,810).
- Investigator for the project “Promoting Academic Achievement of Boys of Color (PAS)” (2008-2009) funded by the. W. K. Kellogg Foundation to develop and evaluate a comprehensive intervention model to improve academic achievement of African-American and Latino boys in 6 elementary schools from three states: Florida, Illinois and Michigan (Award: $6,000,000).
- Principal Investigator (with Virginia Buysse) for the project “Improving Teacher Quality to Address the Language and Literacy Skills of Latino Children in Pre-K” (2004-2008) funded by the U. S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Science to develop and evaluate (using an experimental design) an intervention targeting pre-kindergarten teachers to support language and literacy learning among Latino children who are English language learners. (Award: $1,467,046).
- Co-Principal Investigator for the project Nuestros Niños/Our Children: Addressing the Needs of Young Latino Children and Families (2001-2005) funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement to study policies and practices related to serving Latino children and families in early education and intervention. The study conducted a national survey of state administrators of early childhood programs and conducted interviews with Latino parents, program directors, teachers and specialist, as well as classroom observations in early childhood programs from three states: Florida, North Carolina and Washington (Award: $1,327,915).
- Principal Investigator in the evaluation of the “21st Century Community Learning Centers” (2003-2006). Contract with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Orange County, NC. (Contract: $60,000). This project evaluated the effectiveness of an after-school program in improving academic achievement among minority students (grades 1-5) in three elementary schools.
- Lead Investigator in the study “Parental Involvement in Head Start Programs” (1997-2000). Sub-study conducted as part of the North Carolina Research Center on Head Start Quality (Donna Bryant and Ellen Peisner-Feinberg, Co-Principal Investigators) to examine how much and in which ways are parents involved in Head Start programs, and what parent and teacher characteristics are related to parent involvement.
Other Research Experience
- Child and Family Factors in Oral Language and Reading of First Grade Peruvian Children in Poor Urban Communities. Doctoral Dissertation. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), School of Education. (1995-1996).
- Family Stories, Family Strengths and Family Needs: Resilience and Risk Factors Among Latino Immigrants in North Carolina (Investigator with Deborah Bender, Principal Investigator). University of North Carolina-Duke University Program on Latin American Studies. (1995-1996).
- Language Development of Children of Bilingual Quechua-Spanish Migrants in a Poor Urban Community of Lima. Master thesis. The University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health. (1986).
- Principal Investigador in the study “Language Development of Preschool Children in a Poor Urban Community of Lima”. Grant from the Asociación Multidisciplinaria de Estudios en Población [Multidisciplinary Association for Population Studies]. Lima, Peru. (1985).