I'm a Toro

Brandilynn Villareal — M.A., Clinical Psychology, 2009

I'm a Scholar

Dr. Brandilynn Villarreal is a lifespan developmental psychologist with a focus on motivation and self-regulation. She studies adolescents and young adults in the transition to adulthood and higher education. Her research explores how motivational and self-regulation processes help adolescents and young adults stay engaged with their educational goals despite social, economic, and educational challenges. Dr. Villarreal was recently named a Faculty Diversity and Equity Fellow at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, a position that allows her to further her research and teaching and work toward creating an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students.

Dr. Villarreal received an undergraduate degree in psychology, with a minor in women’s studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). While at CSUDH, she worked as the program coordinator for the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program. Dr. Villarreal completed her Ph.D. in psychology at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in 2017, with an emphasis in developmental psychology and minors in quantitative and social psychology. While earning her Ph.D., she taught several courses at UCI and Irvine Valley College and extensively mentored undergraduate research projects and theses.