Karina Ruiz

Karina Ruiz is director of research at the Community Schools Learning Exchange (CSLX), where she was formerly a postdoctoral fellow. An interdisciplinary researcher in childhood studies, family science, and education, her work examines children’s learning in family settings, particularly among multilingual and immigrant learners and through family–school–community partnerships. Her research uses ethnographic approaches to explore immigrant legal status as an axis of power in mixed-status families, particularly in community and educational settings. She has more than 10 years of experience in early child care in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. She was formerly a doctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz and a researcher at California State University, Monterey Bay and the University of California, Berkeley. Ruiz earned her BA in human communication from California State University, Monterey Bay and her MA and PhD in Latin American and Latino studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

updated 2026