Home department:
VCU Department of Psychology

Doctoral program:
Developmental Psychology

Faculty adviser:
Chelsea Williams, Ph.D.

Vianca joined the Developmental Psychology PhD Program in Fall 2025. Her research is focused on understanding the experiences of underrepresented and underserved children in school settings, including multi-language learners, neurodivergent children, and ethnic-racial minority students and their families. These subpopulations of youth often experience lower graduation rates, not because of their skills or ability, but because they face structural barriers in schools, and often lack access to culturally-sensitive, and trained teachers and staff. I am dedicated to conducting research and developing interventions that address these gaps to optimize positive development and educational outcomes.