Education

  • Ph.D. 2015 – University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Human Development and Family Studies
  • M.S. 2011 – University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Human Development and Family Studies
  • B.S. 2008 – University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Human Development and Family Studies

Areas of Expertise

  • The sociocultural context of families
  • Relational experiences of immigrant communities living in the US
  • Marital, relational, and parenting education

Background

Dr. Yuliana Rodriguez earned her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is currently a Clinical Associate Professor in the Human Development and Family Science program within the School of Education, where she teaches courses on human lifespan development, family stress and resilience, and family and individual resource management. Dr. Rodriguez has provided supervision to undergraduate majors in the completion of their internship capstone experience and supports undergraduate research through her role as director of the Senior Honors Thesis Program for the School of Education. Prior to joining UNC–Chapel Hill, Dr. Rodriguez was an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Science at East Carolina University, where she taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, including human development, research methods, statistics, and family relationship courses. Her research focuses on the sociocultural and relational experiences of immigrant communities living in the US. Dr. Rodriguez also has experience with educational outreach efforts such as marital, relational, and parenting education. As part of her research, teaching, and service efforts, she has been honored with various awards including the Empowerment award given by the Carolina Latinx Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – an award recognizing individuals who has built scholarship beyond the classroom and developed an awareness and celebration about Latinx identity; the Latino Community Coalition of Guilford County’s Notable Latinos of the Triad Award- an award recognizing community members who make a significant impact on the community locally; and the Gladys Strawn Bullard Award for Leadership and Service to UNC-Greensboro for her research and community involvement focused on meeting the needs of NC’s burgeoning Latino community. Dr. Rodriguez enjoys interesting books and podcasts, going on nature walks, exploring the world, and meeting great folks along the way.

  • EDUC 691H, Honors Seminar in Education
  • EDUC 403, Individuals, Families, and Communities in Diverse Contexts
  • EDUC 181, Introduction to Human Development and Family Science
  • EDUC 480, Resource Management for Individuals and Families
  • EDUC 694H, Honors Thesis in Education
  • EDUC 698, Internship in Human Development and Family Science
  • EDUC 181, Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies
  • EDUC 591, Seminar in Academic Mentoring in Education
  • EDUC 532, Human Development and Learning
  • EDUC 698, Internship in Human Development and Family Studies
  • EDUC 403, Families and Communities in Diverse Contexts for Children
  • Nominated for:Friday Award for Excellence in Teaching, SOE Teaching Excellence Award Committee. (September 30, 2024).
  • 22-23 SOE Teaching Excellence Award, UNC, School of Education. (November 27, 2023).
  • Nominated for:Pacesetter Award, UNC-Greensboro, School of Health and Human Sciences, Dept. of HDFS. (August 2022).
  • Nominated for:The Empowerment Award, Carolina Latinx Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. (May 2022).
  • LatinxEd Leadership Fellowship, LatinxEd/John M. Belk Endowment. (2021).
  • Nominated for:SOE Inaugural Teaching Excellence Awards, UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Education. (2021).
  • Latino/a Community Leader Award, YMCA of Northwest NC – Latino Achievers Program, Forsyth County. (June 2017).
  • Glady’s Strawn Bullard Award for Leadership and Service to UNCG, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. (2014).
  • Notable Latino of the Triad, Latino Community Coalition of Guilford. (July 2013).
  • Family and Community Education – National Council on Family Relations Section. (January 2023 – Present).
  • Latino(a) Research – National Council on Family Relations Focus Group. (July 2021 – Present).
  • North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professional. (August 2017 – Present).
  • Groves (Marriage and Family Research) Professional Organization. (January 2017 – Present).
  • Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families – National Council on Family Relations Section. (June 2015 – Present).
  • Latino Community Coalition of Guilford County. (December 2013 – Present).
  • National Council on Family Relations. (July 2010 – Present).

Journal Article

Arrante, J., Baugh, E., Mallette, J., & Rodriguez, Y. (2025). Impact of Attachment on the Relationship between Emotion-regulation, Body Dissatisfaction, and Compulsive Exercise in Female College Athletes. Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, 19(3), 329–350. https://doi.org/10.1080/19357397.2025.2470090

Rodriguez, Y., Helms, H. M., Supple, A., Chacon Villalobos, M., & Daniels, B. (2024). Mexican Immigrant Couples’ Marital Quality and Coparenting Satisfaction: The Role of Spouses’ Incongruence in Familism Values. Marriage and Family Review, 60(6), 317–342. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2024.2359116

Frederick, H., & Rodriguez-Vongsavanh, Y. (2022). Pivoting from Face-to-Face Internship to Virtual Internships: Perspectives from Two Certified Family Life Educators. Family Science Review, 26(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.26536/SAQI8392

Almond, L. L., Rodriguez-Vongsavanh, Y., & Taylor, A. (2021). Racial and Ethnic Influence in Online Dating Perceptions. Sexuality & Culture, 25(1), 152–166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-020-09763-z

Wood, C. A., Helms, H. M., Supple, A. J., Rodriguez-Vongsavanh, Y., Hengstebeck, N. D., & Siskind, D. (2021). Examining patterns of Mexican immigrant spouses’ contextual pressures and links with marital satisfaction and negativity. Marriage & Family Review. Published. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2021.1875159

Helms, H. M., Supple, A. J., Hengstebeck, N. D., Wood, C. A., & Rodriguez-Vongsavanh, Y. (2019). Marital Processes Linking Gender Role Attitudes and Marital Satisfaction Among Mexican-Origin Couples: Application of an Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model. Family Process, 58, 197–213. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12338

Book Chapter

James Jr., A. G., Rodriguez, Y., Wu, A., & Sun, W. (accepted). Promoting the Understanding of Individuals and Families in Context: A Guide for Family Life Educators. In Family Life Education: Practice of Family Science (2nd ed.). National Council on Family Relations.

Rodriguez-Vongsavanh, Y., & Resor, J. (2022). Chapter 6: Examining the impact of financial hardship and well-being on life satisfaction among Latina mothers. In Post-Racial No More: Race, Realities, and Resources of Ethnic Minority Families and social Movement: Vol. 7. Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library. https://doi.org/10.3998/groves.9453087.0007.001

Professional

  • Officer, Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families (REDF) section of the National Council of Family Relations, Saint Paul, MN. (2025 – 2027).
  • Conference-Related, National Council on Family Relations. (2025).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Journal of Marriage and Family. (2025).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Marriage & Family Review (Journal), Philadelphia, PA. (2025).
  • Reviewer/Referee, External Reviewer for Promotion. (June 2025 – August 15, 2025).
  • Conference-Related, National Council on Family Relations. (2023 – 2024).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Marriage & Family Review (Journal), Philadelphia, PA. (2023 – 2024).
  • Board of Directors, Groves (Marriage and Family Research). (2021 – December 2024).
  • Guest Speaker, East Carolina University – HDFS Graduate Course – HDFS 7400 Research Methods in Child/Family Studies, Greenville, NC. (2022 – February 2022).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Journal of Marriage and Family. (2022).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Marriage & Family Review (Journal), Philadelphia, PA. (2022).
  • Task Force Chair, UNC DREAM -a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and a partnership between DPS and UNC SOE, Chapel Hill, NC. (July 2021 – December 2022).
  • Conference-Related, National Council on Family Relations. (June 2022).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Journal of Marriage and Family. (2021).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Marriage & Family Review (Journal), Philadelphia, PA. (2021).
  • Board of Directors, Groves (Marriage and Family Research). (2018 – 2021).
  • Session Facilitator, National Council on Family Relations 2021 Annual Conference. (November 2021).
  • Conference-Related, National Council on Family Relations. (June 2021).
  • Moderator Du Jour, Groves Annual Conference on Marriage & Families. (May 27, 2021).
  • Conference-Related, National Council on Family Relations. (March 2020).

University

  • Student Organization Advisor, Rogers Road Project. (October 2025 – 2030).
  • Co-chair, University-wide Honors Thesis Student and Mentor Support. (2025 – 2030).
  • Advisory Board Member, UNC Carolina Latinx Center (CLC). (September 2024 – September 2029).
  • HDFS Faculty Member, HDFS BA Undergraduate Program. (2025).
  • HDFS Faculty Member, HDFS BA Undergraduate Program. (2024).
  • Clinical Faculty Representative, School Advisory Council (SAC). (June 2020 – 2024).
  • Committee Member appointed by the Vice Provost for Academic and Community Engagement, UNC 5-Year Review Committee. (April 23, 2024 – October 2024).
  • Committee Member, SOE DEIB Ad Hoc Committee. (November 2023 – July 2024).
  • Committee Member, SOE Promotion Committee for a SOE Clinical Assistant Professor. (October 2023 – April 2024).
  • HDFS Faculty Member, HDFS BA Program. (2023).
  • Fixed-Term Faculty Representative, Office of Faculty Governance – Faculty Grievance Committee. (July 1, 2020 – 2023).
  • Keynote Remarks, The Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity(ACRED) Latino Subcommittee at UNC-Chapel Hill. (June 21, 2023 – June 22, 2023).
  • HDFS Faculty Member, HDFS BA Program. (2022).
  • Search Committee Member, Search Committee for Program Director of UNC-Dream Program. (2022).
  • Search Committee Member, Search Committee for Project Assistant for UNC-DREAM. (2022).
  • Search Committee Member, Teachers for the Carolina Community Academy – UNC Lab School. (2022).
  • Faculty Co-Advisor, Carolina Student Council on Family Relations (CSCFR). (October 2019 – 2022).
  • Judge, 7th Annual Learning through Languages High School Research Symposium. (December 2021).
  • HDFS Faculty Representative. (2021).
  • Inaugural Faculty Committee Member, SOE Teaching Excellence Award Subcommittee. (October 2020 – 2021).
  • Judge, 6th Annual Learning through Languages High School Research Symposium. (December 2020).
  • HDFS Faculty Representative. (2020).
  • Guest Speaker, EDUC 806 Graduate Course. (October 22, 2020).
  • Guest Speaker, McNair Scholar Program at UNC-Chapel Hill. (October 2, 2020).
  • Search Committee Faculty Member, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Search Committee. (May 2020 – July 2020).
  • Judge, UNC and Duke’s 5th Annual Learning through Languages High School Research Symposium. (December 2019).
  • HDFS Faculty Representative. (2019).

Public

  • Guest Speaker, Future Teachers of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC. (2025 – May 2025).
  • Guest Speaker, Community Workshops focused on Parenting and Relationship Skills, Burlington, NC. (June 2025 – August 2025).
  • Guest Speaker, Community Workshops focused on Parenting and Relationship Skills, Burlington, NC. (October 2024 – December 2024).
  • Workshop Facilitator, Local Spanish Speaking Church, Burlington, NC. (October 2023 – December 2023).
  • Guest Speaker, Musical Empowerment, Carrboro, NC. (November 2022).
  • Guest Panelist, UNC-Greensboro, CHANCE program, Greensboro, NC. (July 2022).
  • Keynote Speaker, ¡Si Se Pudo! Celebration, hosted by the Alumni Office, UNC -Greensboro, Greensboro, NC. (May 2022).
  • Guest Speaker, LatinxEd – Cafecito Facebook Live Series. (October 8, 2021).
  • Volunteer, Annual Hispanic Educational Summit, Raleigh, NC. (March 2021).
  • Guest Speaker, LatinxEd – Cafecito Facebook Live Series. (October 1, 2020).
  • Volunteer, Latinx 20 Under 20 Selection Panel, NC. (July 2020).
  • Consultation from the Building Integrated Communities (BIC) Project, Building Integrated Communities (BIC), Chapel Hill, NC. (June 2020).
  • Guest Speaker, LatinxEd Mentoring Program – Parent/Family Workshop, Chapel Hill, NC. (March 1, 2020).
  • Guest Speaker, LatinxEd Mentoring Program, Chapel Hill, NC. (February 16, 2020).
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