Dr. Robinson will be accepting students for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle in the School Psychology Ph.D. Concentration.

Background

Dr. Luz Robinson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina, in the School Psychology program. She is also affiliated with the UofSC Research Center for Child Well-Being, a multidisciplinary center focused on preventing physical and social-emotional health problems in children aged 2-10. She received her Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her predoctoral internship in child clinical psychology at the Medical University of South Carolina. Prior to her graduate training, she earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Florida, a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in International Studies with a concentration in Latin America and the Caribbean. She also completed two minors in Portuguese and Educational Studies along with two certificates in Spanish for Professionals and Latin American Studies.

Research

Dr. Robinson’s research investigates student mental health and school safety. The goal of her research is to promote youth mental health outcomes by using knowledge about risk and protective factors to guide the development of school-based, trauma-informed prevention and intervention efforts. Her research and clinical work have primarily focused on underserved, multilingual, and neurodiverse populations. She leads CASA RUMBA, a research lab dedicated to improving student mental health, academic functioning, and school safety. CASA RUMBA (Child and Adolescent Safety Advocacy Research on Understanding Mental health, Belonging, and Access) is a multilingual, community-engaged research lab focused on promoting school safety and youth violence prevention (suicide and bullying) through a socio-ecological lens to reduce systemic stressors and increase protective factors. CASA RUMBA conducts mixed-methods and intervention research in collaboration with schools, families, and educators (locally and internationally) to advance mental health practices, professional development, and public policy.

Representative Publications

Robinson, L. E., Watson, K. R., Fensterstock, N., Hogenkamp, S., Xu, Y., Garner, H., Warri, V. R., Morgan, C. H., Garcia, A. A., Wu, C., Dunn, D., Espelage, D. L., Astor, R. A., McMahon, S. D., Reddy, L. A., Anderman, E. M., Worrell, F. C., & Martinez, A. (2025). School Safety Concerns and Solutions: A Qualitative Analysis of U.S. School Psychologists’ Perspectives. Behavioral Sciences, 15(2), 228. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15020228

Robinson, L. E., Valido, A., Rivas-Koehl, M., Espelage, D. L., Aguilar, T., & Wyman, P. (2024). Protective factors for multiple forms of interpersonal violence experienced by adolescent Latinas. Journal of Latinx Psychology, 12(3), 211–227. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000249

Robinson, L.E.,Clements, G., Drescher, A.El Sheikh, A., Milarsky, T., Hanebutt, R., Graves, K., Valido, A., Espelage, D.L., & Rose, C. (2023). Developing a Multi-Tiered System of Support-Based Plan for Bullying Prevention Among Students with Disabilities: Perspectives from General and Special Education Teachers During Professional Development. School Mental Health 15, 826–838. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-023-09589-8

Robinson, L. E., Valido, A., Drescher, A., Woolweaver, A. B., Espelage, D. L., LoMurray, S., Long, A. C. J., Wright, A. A., & Dailey, M. M. (2023). Teachers, Stress, and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis. School Mental Health, 15(1), 78–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-022-09533-2

Robinson, L. E., Woolweaver, A. B., Espelage, D. L., & Little, G. (2021). Restorative justice: A qualitative analysis of school security perspectives. Contemporary Justice Review, 24(3), 336-360.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10282580.2021.1938008