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William Mira joined Fort Lewis College as a visiting instructor of psychology in 2017. Dr. Mira trained in educational psychology at the University of Georgia with a concentration in applied cognition and development. Throughout his doctoral program, Dr. Mira worked with the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE) on research examining the intersections between cultural adaptation, identity development, self-esteem, and depression. His dissertation research involved the development and pilot validation of an assessment of Spanish language proficiency as well as an examination of the impact of first language proficiency on second language achievement. During his time with CLASE, Dr. Mira acted as co-director for a tutoring and mentoring program serving third to fifth grade Latino English learners at a low-income elementary school. Dr. Mira has a passion for heritage language issues and working with underserved populations. He is a member of the American Education Research Association and has presented his work at numerous conferences around the country including AERA’s annual meeting.
Portes, P. R., Canche, M. G., Boada, D., Mira, W. A., Sandhu, D., Salas, S. (2016). Assessing migration and adaptation from two or more points of view: Cultural-historical theory and methods. Papeles de Trabajo sobre Cultura, Educación, y Desarollo Humano, 12(2), 1-17.
Mira, W. A., & Schwanenflugel, P. J. (2013). The impact of reading expressiveness on the listening comprehension of storybooks by prekindergarten children. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 44(2), 183-194.
Mira, W. A., Boada, D., Portes, P. R. (2017, April). Cultural adaptation of dominant and non-dominant college students: Comparing Spain and the United States. Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Antonio, TX.
Portes, P. R., Boada, D., Cabrera, L., Pozo, T., Mira, W.A. (2017, March). Examining cultural adaptation across two cultural contexts: How different are young adults in Spain and the United States? Paper to be presented at the 11th annual International Technology, Education and Development Conference, Valencia, Spain.
Cotsakis, C., Mira, W. A. (2017, February). One-to-one tutoring for EL learners: Effects on students and tutors. Paper presented at the 16th annual ESOL Conference at Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA.
Portes, P. R., Boada, D., & Mira, W. A. (2016, August). Cultural adaptation and adjustment of majority & non-dominant college students: Ethnic and gender identities in formation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the European Educational Research Association, Dublin, Ireland.
Cotsakis, C., & Mira, W. A. (2016, February). Engaging ELLs through curriculum and projects applying “funds of knowledge”. Paper presented at the 15th annual ESOL Conference at Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA.
Mira, W. A., Boada, D., Portes, P. R. (2015, April). Cultural adaptation, self-esteem and depression in college students by ethnicity and gender. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
Mira, W. A., Simmons, C., Portes, P. R. (2014, April). Beyond drill and kill: New directions for afterschool programs. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.