I am interested in prevention and intervention strategies in early childhood, particularly with culturally and linguistically minoritized, and economically marginalized preschool-aged children. Additionally, I am interested in examining the role of bilingual school psychologists in early childhood settings. Further, I am interested in the language development and social-emotional competencies of DLL preschoolers and the delivery of culturally responsive services, supports, and assessment/evaluation procedures.
Kizzy Albritton (Supervisor)Examines ways that school psychologists can improve the academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes for young children (i.e., preschool) from minoritized and marginalized backgrounds in early childhood settings.
Co-facilitator, Dual/English Language Learner Hub, POWER (Providing Opportunities for Women in Education Research)(2021 - Present)
Committee Member, Anti-Racism Task Force- Graduate & Doctoral Life Subcommittee, Kent State University(2020 - 2021)
Graduate Student Senator, Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences, Graduate Student Senate, Kent State University(2020 - 2021)
GSS Representative, Student Affiliates in School Psychology, Kent State University(2020 - 2021)
Reviewer, Research Award Review Committee, Kent State University(2020 - 2021)
Mentor, Emerging Latina Researchers, (2020 - Present)
Stuckey, A.., Albritton, K.. & Cruz, K.. (2022). Research to practice to research: Examining who, how, what, when, and where for early literacy interventions within tiered frameworks. Psychology in the Schools, 59(5), 1873–1905. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22735.
Albritton, K.., Stein, R.. & Cruz, K.. (2021). Embracing the promise and potential of preschool-age black boys: Strength-based opportunities for early childhood school psychologists.. School Psychology Review, 1–14. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2021.1977586.
Albritton, K.., Cruz, K.. & Townsend, C.. (2020). Disrupting the preschool to prison pipeline: School psychologists as change agents.. Communiqué, 49(4).
Mariñez-Lora, A.M.., Cua, G.., Cruz, K.. & Patel, D.. (2019). Families who are immigrants.. Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Development.: John Wiley: New York. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119171492..
Texas New Scholar Award, University of Texas at Austin (2023 - 2024)
Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) Scholar: Youth & Family concentration, University of Texas at Austin (2023 - 2024)
Professional Development Award, University of Texas at Austin (2022)
Beeman Phillips Outstanding Student Researcher Award, University of Texas at Austin (2022)
Texas New Scholar Award, University of Texas at Austin (2022 - 2023)
Graduate Student Scholarship Recipient, Trainers of School Psychologists (2022)
Graduate School Recruitment Fellowship, University of Texas at Austin (2021 - 2022)
Graduate Student Support Award, Graduate Student Senate, Kent State University (2021)
Book Award, Graduate Student Senate, Kent State University (2021)
Distinguished Child Advocate Award, Student Affiliates in School Psychology, Kent State University (2020)
Domestic Travel Award, Graduate Student Senate, Kent State University (2020)
Albritton, K., Stuckey, A., & Cruz, K. Who, How, What, When, and Where for Early Literacy Interventions, Paper to be presented at the annual convention of the National Association of School Psychologists, Denver, CO (2023)
Stein, R., Albritton, K., & Cruz, K. Proactively Promoting the Promise and Potential of Preschool Black Boys., Poster to be presented at the annual convention of the National Association of School Psychologists, Boston, MA (2022)
Klatka, K., Cruz, K., & Albritton, K. Culturally Responsive Social-Emotional Interventions for Minoritized and Marginalized Young Children., Paper to be presented at the annual convention of the National Association of School Psychologists, Boston, MA (2022)
Cruz, K. & Albritton, K. The Role of Bilingual School Psychologists in Early Childhood Settings., Paper to be presented at the annual convention of the National Association of School Psychologists, Boston, MA (2022)
Cruz, K. Preparing Bilingual School Psychologists for Early Childhood Settings: preliminary results., Selected to present during the 2022 Diversity Dialogue: Voices of School Psychology Graduate Students, at the annual convention of the National Association of School Psychologists, Boston, MA (2022)
Cruz, K. & Albritton, K. Black and Latinx home-school collaboration: Where are the school psychologists?, Paper presented at the annual convention of the National Association of School Psychologists, Virtual Convention (2021)
Albritton, K., Cruz, K., & Townsend, C. Disrupting the preschool to prison pipeline: school psychologists as change agents., Paper presented at the annual convention of the National Association of School Psychologists, Baltimore, MD (2020)
Maríñez-Lora, A., M., Cruz, K., Ramos-Fernandez, Acosta, A., & Frazier, S., & Atkins, M. African American mothers trajectory identifying and seeking services for their children with behavioral difficulties., Poster presented at the Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action, Chicago, IL (2019)
