Dr. Desireé Vega is an Associate Professor in the School Psychology program at the University of Arizona. She completed her BA in psychology at SUNY-Binghamton University and MA and Ph.D. in school psychology at The Ohio State University. Dr. Vega worked as a school psychologist for the Omaha Public Schools district for three years prior to beginning her faculty career at Texas State University. Her research, teaching, and service intersect to focus on advancing the academic outcomes of culturally and linguistically minoritized students and preparing future school psychologists and researchers to engage in advocacy and implement culturally responsive practices.

Dr. Vega’s research focuses on three main areas: 1) identifying best practices in the training of bilingual school psychologists; 2) preparing culturally competent school psychologists; and 3) advancing the educational success of African American, Latinx, and emergent bilingual youth. She was most recently awarded the Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring Award from the Graduate College at the University of Arizona and the New Leader Award from The Ohio State University. Dr. Vega was also named an Emerging Scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education in 2017 and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Fellow in 2019.