Faculty Profile for Dr. Aitiana Sanchez-Garciaguirre
Dr. Aitiana Sanchez-Garciaguirre
Assistant Professor — Dept of Health & Human Performance
JOW A153
phone: (512) 245-5102
Biography Section
Biography and Education
Aitiana Sanchez-Garciaguirre earned her PhD in Health Psychology and MA in Experimental Psychology from The University of Texas at El Paso. She also holds a BS in Psychology from Texas State University, along with a Certificate in Quantitative Methods in Psychology.Dr. Sanchez-Garciaguirre is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at Texas State University. Her research interests focus on resilience, mental health, and alcohol use, particularly among Hispanic college students. She is passionate about investigating the role of Minority Stress Theory in understanding how marginalized students navigate psychological stress and adversity in higher education settings. Her work aims to design and evaluate interventions, such as 'Transforming Lives Through Resilience Education,' to bolster resilience and mental well-being in this population. Dr. Sanchez-Garciaguirre’s primary population of interest is Hispanic college students, and her research seeks to examine resilience interventions for diverse populations impacted by stress, mental illness, and addiction. She is also involved in developing tailored interventions for students experiencing mental illness or distress. In addition, her secondary research interests include improving mental health outcomes, address alcohol use, and support overall well-being.
She has published in high-impact journals such as Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research, and The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Additionally, she has presented her work at numerous conferences, including the American Psychological Association, Research Society on Alcohol, and Collaborative Perspective on Addiction.
Teaching Interests
Statistics, Public Health StatisticsResearch Interests
Resilience, Mental Health, Hispanic College Students, Alcohol Use, Interventions, Health Disparities, Stigma of Mental IllnessSelected Scholarly/Creative Work
- Vera-Adrianzen, X. F., Corral, S. I., Sanchez-Garciaguirre, A. I., & Field, C. A. (2024). Acculturative stress, collectivistic coping, and drinking in a predominantly Latino college sample. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000653
- Sanchez-Garciaguirre, A. I., Najera, S. N., Portillo, E. M., & Field, C. A. (2024). The indirect effects of self‐regulation on the association of social support with increased protective drinking behavior and decreased alcohol problems in a predominantly Hispanic college student sample. Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research, 48(2), 409–419. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15253
- Sanchez-Garciaguirre, A. I., Gainza Perez, M., & Field, C. A. (2022). The role of resilience in alcohol use, drinking motives, and alcohol-related consequences among Hispanic college students. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 48(1), 100–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2021.1996584
Selected Awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Outstanding Graduate Student in Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso. April 2024
Selected Grants
- Sanchez-Garciaguirre, Aitiana Ivonne. Graduate School Dodson Research Grant, The University of Texas at El Paso, Institutional (Higher Ed), $2410. (Funded: August 2023 - May 2024). Grant.
- Sanchez-Garciaguirre, Aitiana Ivonne. Graduate School Travel Grant, The University of Texas at El Paso, Institutional (Higher Ed), $842.95. (Funded: June 2023 - August 2023). Grant.
Selected Service Activities
Reviewer / Referee
National Hispanic Science Network
2024-Present
Member
Alumni Committee
September 2024-Present
Reviewer / Referee
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse
2023-Present
Reviewer / Referee
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
2022-Present
Reviewer / Referee
COURI Summer Symposium
2022-2023