Maria Avalos

Dr. María D. Avalos, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Counseling at the University of Texas Permian Basin received her B.A. in Psychology from Southwestern University, M. Ed. in Guidance and Counseling from Texas State University, and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin. She is currently seeking a doctoral degree in Counseling Education at Texas Tech University. Dr. Avalos has 27 years of teaching experience in K-12, secondary, and post-secondary settings. She’s served as a teacher and counselor at Seguin High School and Associate Dean of Student Life at Texas Lutheran University, teaching undergraduate courses in Developmental Psychology, Educational Psychology, Special Populations, and Freshmen Experience. At UT Permian Basin, she teaches graduate courses in Professional Orientation and Ethics, Life Span Development, Multicultural Counseling, Group Counseling, Practicum, and Internship.

Credentials

Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor, Texas

National Certified Counselor

Certified School Counselor, Texas

Certified Teacher, Texas

Education

• (In Progress) Ph.D. Counselor Education, Texas Tech University, Lubbock Texas (CACREP Accredited)
• (2004) PhD Educational Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
  Dissertation Title: Student Engagement and Educational Expectations During the Transition to High School
• (1998) M.Ed. Guidance and Counseling, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas
• (1993) B.A. Psychology, Minor: Dance, Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas

Research Interests

As a first-generation college student, Dr. Avalos has a passion for research in the academic self-efficacy, retention, and mental health of first-generation and Spanish-speaking counselor education students, teaching pedagogy, group counseling, and counselor education.

Publications

Estep, H.M., Avalos, M.D., & Olson, J.N. (2017). The relationship between orienting styles, general deviance, academic dishonesty, and infidelity. College Student Journal, 51(4), 473-482.

Salgado, Y & Avalos, M.D. (2017). Language brokering: effects on parent-child relationships, bilingualism, and cognitive and emotional development in T. Rishel & P. C. Miller (Eds.), Stress and coping of English learners (pp. 27–38). IAP Information Age Publishing.

Avalos, M., & Salgado, Y. (2016). Legacy of hope: Latinas overcoming barriers to success. National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal, 34(4), 24-31.

Carter, Janet A. & Avalos, M. D. (2016). Keeping on academic tracks: promoting wellness in the face of potential derailment in K. C. Mansfield, A. D. Welton, & P. L. Lee (Eds) Identity intersectionalities, mentoring, and work-life (im)balance: Educators (re)negotiate the personal, professional, and political (p. xx-xx). Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Avalos, M. D. & Carter, J. (2016). Cyberbullying: A new twist on a familiar problem in Creating and Negotiating Collaborate Spaces for Socially Just Anti-Bullying Interventions and Innovations. Information Age Publishing.

Villalobos, N. & Avalos, M.D. (2016). Bullying and Peer Victimization as a Function of Parenting and Attachment Styles: Implication for School Programming in Creating and Negotiating Collaborate Spaces for Socially Just Anti-Bullying Interventions and Innovations. Information Age Publishing.

Avalos, M. D. (2015). Between two worlds in Abriendo Puertas, Cerrando Heridas/Opening Doors, Closing Wounds: Lationas/os finding work-life balance, Information Age Publishing.