Laura Anaya, Ph.D. has a background in human development and psychology, with a Doctor of Philosophy in human development and family studies from Purdue University. In her dissertation work, Anaya focused on early childhood social-emotional development, specifically studying child-parent attachment relationships within the context of parental marital relationships. She is passionate about enriching children’s environments to help them thrive and reach their full potential by meeting their needs across developmental areas.

Anaya is part of the Research and Evaluation division, and much of her work resides within the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement. In her current role, Anaya contributes to creating and updating various aspects of research and evaluation procedures, and collaborates with colleagues on different projects, contributing her expertise on evaluation and quality improvement. Importantly, she prioritizes increasing her teams’ efforts in the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the research process.

Anaya was born and raised in Tri-Cities, Washington, and is happy to be back living there near family and friends. Outside of work, Anaya enjoys dancing ballet folklorico (Mexican folk dance) with a local company, learning different dance styles from different regions in Mexico, and performing with her class at different local cultural events. This hobby helps Dr. Anaya connect to her roots as a daughter of Mexican immigrants, and she enjoys sharing the hobby with her young daughter Elena. Anaya also loves indoor houseplants and has a vast collection in her home. When not busy with her two small children, you can find her caring for her plants and listening to audiobooks.