Francisco A. Villarruel

Francisco A. Villarruel (Ph.D., 1990, University of Wisconsin, Madison) is an Associate Professor of Family & Child Ecology at Michigan State University and a Research Associate with the Institute for Children, Youth, and Families, a university-wide research and outreach unit promoting positive development of children, youth, and families in communities through the application of the scholarly resources of Michigan State. He is affiliated with the Julian Samora Research Institute, which generates applies knowledge to serve the needs of Latino communities in the Midwest. Since joining Michigan State in 1992, Dr. Villarruel has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in both the Community Services and Child Development programs. His research focus is on developmental contextualism, Latino youth and families, and positive youth development.