Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Edna C Alfaro

  • Professor - School of Family & Consumer Sciences
Portrait of Dr. Edna C Alfaro

Biography and expertise

Education:
Ph.D., Family and Human Development, Arizona State University
M.S., Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
B.A., Psychology, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX

Research/Scholarly Focus:
Dr. Alfaro’s research explores how family, cultural, and environmental factors shape the lives of adolescents and college students. Using ecological and academic resilience frameworks, she investigates the roles of parental support, sibling relationships, and cultural values in promoting student success. Her work often centers on Mexican-origin youth and emphasizes strengths-based approaches to understanding development in diverse contexts.

Education

Doctorate Degree

PhD in Family and Human Development

Arizona State University, 2009

Master's Degree

MS in Human and Community Development

Univ of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2004

Bachelor's Degree

BA in Psychology

St. Mary's University, 2002

  • Shen, Yishan (Principal), Zhou, Xuan (Co-Principal), Weimer, Amy Ann (Co-Principal), Alfaro, Edna C (Co-Principal). Race-Status Beliefs in Mexican American and Chinese American Adolescents: Development, Antecedents, and Multifaceted Impact, TXST CADS Catalyst Research Grant, Texas State University, $4000. (Submitted: December 2, 2024, Funded: February 1, 2025 - August 2025). Grant.
  • Goble, Priscilla Maria (Principal), Shen, Yishan (Principal), Weimer, Amy Ann (Supporting), Alfaro, Edna C (Supporting), Seo, Eunjin (Supporting), Behnke, Andrew Owen (Supporting). REU Site: Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Human Development and Family Sciences (OUR HDFS) Fellowship Program, National Science Foundation, Federal, $439005. (Submitted: September 2023, Funded: September 2024 - August 2027). Grant.
  • Shen, Yishan (Principal), Goble, Priscilla Maria (Principal), Weimer, Amy Ann (Co-Principal), Alfaro, Edna C (Co-Principal), Seo, Eunjin (Co-Principal), Behnke, Andrew (Co-Principal). Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Developmental Psychology (OUR DP) Fellowship Program, American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, $5000. (Submitted: October 2023, Funded: January 2024 - Present). Grant.
  • Shen, Yishan (Principal), Percent Contribution: %25, Goble, Priscilla Maria (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %25, Weimer, Amy Ann (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %25, Alfaro, Edna C (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %25. Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Human Development and Family Sciences (OUR HDFS) Fellowship, TXST College of Applied Arts, Texas State University, $5000. (Submitted: July 2022, Funded: September 2022 - May 2023). Grant.
  • Shen, Yishan (Principal), Percent Contribution: %16.7, Goble, Priscilla Maria (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %16.7, Perez-Brena, Norma Judith (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %16.7, Weimer, Amy Ann (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %16.7, Alfaro, Edna C (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %16.7, Bishop, Nicholas Joseph (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %16.5. Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Human Development and Family Sciences (OUR HDFS) Fellowship, TXST College of Applied Arts, Texas State University, $5000. (Submitted: June 11, 2021, Funded: September 2021 - May 2022). Grant.
View all grants
  • Jones, S. K., Killoren, S. E., Kline, G. C., & Alfaro, E. C. (2022). Mexican-origin college students’ stress, sibling relationships, academic motivation, and depressive symptoms. Journal of Family Issues, 43(2). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X21994135
  • Alfaro, E. C. (2020). Communication frequency and types of supportive messages: A mixed methods approach to examining Mexican-origin college students’ relationships with mothers and fathers. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 9, 52–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192718772663
  • Saxon, A. J., Alfaro, E. C., Seo, E., & Shen, Y. (2026). Collective efficacy: A resilience factor to adverse childhood experiences and externalizing behaviors. Adolescents, 6(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents6050065
  • Seo, E., Lee, Y., Steingut, R. S., Alfaro, E. C., & Lee, K. (2024). Testing the generalizability of the multiplicative effects of expectancy and value across different ages, genders, and races. Learning and Individual Differences, 116, 102578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2024.102578
  • Gulseven, Z., Pierotti, S., Killoren, S. E., Alfaro, E. C., & Carlo, G. (2024). The role of maternal warmth in understanding the relations between cultural orientations and prosocial behaviors. Journal of Latinx Psychology, 12(3), 261–276. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000253
View all scholarly/creative works
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Favorite Professor, Alpha Chi National College Honor Society. 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Teaching Award of Honor during COVID-19 Crisis, Texas State Alumni Association. 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Teaching Acknowledgement from Graduating Undergraduate Student, Texas State University. 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Transfer Student Appreciation of Campus Support, Texas State University. June 25, 2019
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Graduating Undergraduate Student Recognition, Texas State University. 2015 - June 21, 2018
View all awards
  1. Other

    Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Program Coordinator

  2. Reviewer / Referee

    Institute of Education Sciences, Review Panel

  3. Other

    Texas Council on Family Relations

  4. Member

    Texas Council on Family Relations Board Member

  5. Other

    School of Family and Consumer Sciences

  6. Chair

    Family and Consumer Science Curriculum Committee

  7. View all activities