Email: paola.montufar@nyu.edu
Program: PhD in Developmental Psychology
Year Entered Program: 2021
Research Interests: Latine families, early math development, ethnomathematics, multimodal math engagement, caregiver cognitions
Principal Advisor(s): Dr. Gigliana Melzi
Research Description/Bio:
Paola Montúfar Soria (she/her/ella) is a doctoral candidate in Developmental Psychology at New York University, where she works with Dr. Gigliana Melzi in the Culture, Families, and Early Development (CFD) Lab. She holds a BA in Psychology with Honors from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).
Paola’s research focuses on using culturally grounded and strengths-based approaches to understand and support Latine families’ early STEM engagement. Her dissertation aims to broaden traditional conceptions of family math by: (1) incorporating artesanías (i.e., cultural crafts) as meaningful math-related activities; (2) exploring multimodal math engagement through both talk and gesture; and (3) centering caregivers’ beliefs about the role of math in their children’s everyday lives. Through her work, she seeks to challenge prevailing assumptions about what early math learning looks like and its role in children’s development.