Sabrina Kataoka

Ph.D. Student
Department of Education

Email: kataokas@uci.edu

Biography

Sabrina Kataoka joins UC Irvine's Ph.D. in Education program with a specialization in Learning, Cognition, and Development (LCD).

In 2008, Sabrina graduated from Soka University of America with a B.A. in Liberal Arts. Seeing how wonderful an impact a humanistic, well-rounded university education had on her development inspired her to work for the quality education of others. During her undergraduate years, she dedicated herself to multiple teacher's assistant internships at local elementary schools. Hoping to gain further experience at the elementary level, she spent the year after graduating as a second grade program leader for THINK Together, an academically-oriented after-school program serving disadvantaged communities. Her teaching experiences with THINK Together were critical in her recognizing the various needs of children and strengthening her commitment to support the positive development of children and youth through education.

During her doctoral studies, Sabrina hopes to research how the healthy development of children and youth can be fostered in diverse educational contexts. Particularly, her passion lies in understanding how the social relationships in children's lives can positively influence their learning and development. In addition, she is interested in examining how after-school activities can enhance the educational and overall development of children and youth. After completing the Ph.D. program, Sabrina plans to become an educational researcher and eventually teach at a university.

Presentations

Kataoka, S. M., & Vandell, D. L. (2011, March). The Effects of Psychosocial Climate and Attendance in High-Quality After-School Programs on Adolescent Outcomes. Presented at the meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Montreal, Canada.