Dr. Danya M. Serrano
Dr. Danya M. Serrano
Associate Professor of PsychologySocial SciencesBiography
Dr. Danya Serrano (Corkin) earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Houston. Upon graduation, she worked as a Project Controls Engineer for Bechtel Corporation for seven years before deciding to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology and Individual Differences from the University of Houston. She also has an M.Ed. in counseling. She has worked as an education researcher and program evaluator for the Houston Independent School District, the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), the Rice University School Mathematics Project, and the Biology and Biochemistry Department at the University of Houston. Her research interests are broad and include achievement motivation, the college classroom motivational environment, academic procrastination, problematic social media use, and mental health. Most recently she has published research pertaining to sleep disturbance and suicide risk.
Dr. Serrano teaches Statistical Methods in Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology, Educational Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Multicultural Psychology, Theories of Personality, and Undergraduate Research in Psychology.
Degrees Earned
Ph.D., Educational Psychology and Individual Differences, University of Houston
M.Ed., Counseling, University of Houston
B.S., Industrial Engineering, University of Houston, Honors College
Courses Taught
- PSY 2317 Statistical Methods in Psychology
- PSY 3315 Theories of Personality
- PSY 3320 Research Methods in Psychology
- PSY 3302 Educational Psychology
- PSY 3322 Abnormal Psychology
- PSY 4317 Multicultural Psychology
- PSY 4395 Research Experience in Psychology
Experience Qualifications
Serrano, D. M. Occupational Stress and Suicide Risk among Food Service Industry Workers: Examining the Moderating Role of Sleep Disturbance and Alcohol Consumption. Funding Agency: UHD Organized Research and Creative Activities Grant. $5596 (2021-2022).
Rufino, K. A. & Serrano, D. M. Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Treatment at the University of Houston-Downtown: Unique Perspectives from a Diverse, Non-Traditional Campus. Funding Agency: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). $299,933 (2021-2023—Awarded)
Serrano, D.M. Exploring the Role of Epistemic Beliefs in Science on COVID-19 Conspiracy Beliefs and Prevention among College Students. Funding Agency: UHD Organized Research and Creative Activities Grant. $4,296 (2020-2021).
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence Grant: UHD SynergIE Program; $1,000,000 (2018-2019). Lead Assessor/Evaluator: Danya Corkin
Corkin, D. M. The Effects of a Positive Classroom Motivational Environment on College Students' Procrastination and Achievement. Funding Agency: UHD Organized Research and Creative Activities Grant. $4,324. (2017-18).
Ekmekci, A., & Corkin, D. The Nexus of Teacher Quality and Students' Social Cognitive Career Outcomes in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Funding Agency: Spencer Foundation. $34,805. (2017-2019). Spencer Grant # 201800021.
Student Transition and Retention (STAR) Program. Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education's Title V - Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions. $3,200,000 (2013-2018). Grant # P031S120077. (Evaluator for Project Close-out Report: Danya Corkin)
More Information
Serrano, D. M., Crone, T., & Williams, P. S. (2023). Exploring the role of epistemic beliefs in science on COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and prevention among college students. Science & Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-023-00447-2
Serrano, D. M., Rufino, K. A., Tran, J. K., & Vujanovic, A. A. (2023). The association of sleep disturbance and suicide risk among firefighters: Exploring emotion regulation dimensions. Archives of Suicide Research, 27, 179-191. https://doi: 10.1080/13811118.2021.1982093
Ekmekci, A. & Serrano, D. M. (2022). The impact of teacher quality on student motivation, achievement, and persistence in science and mathematics. Education Sciences.https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12100649
Serrano, D. M, Williams, P. W., Ezzeddine, L.* & Sapon, B.* (2022). Association between Problematic Social Media Use and Academic Procrastination: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness. Learning: Research & Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/23735082.2022.2100920
Serrano Corkin, D. M., Lindt, S.F., Williams, P.W. (2021). The effects of a positive college classroom motivational environment on procrastination and achievement. Learning Environments Research, 24(3), 299-313.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-020-09331-0
Serrano, D. M., Rufino, K. A., Tran, J. K., & Vujanovic, A. A. (2020). Association between sleep disturbance and suicide risk among firefighters: The moderating role of mindfulness. Mindfulness, 11(12), 2793-2803. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01491-7
Cho, K. & Serrano, D. M. (2020). Non-cognitive predictors of academic achievement among non-traditional and traditional college students. Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 68(3), 190-206. https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2020.1776557
Serrano Corkin, D. M., Ekmekci, A. & Fisher, A. (2020). Integrating culture, art, geometry, and coding to enhance computer science motivation among underrepresented minoritized high school students. The Urban Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-020-00586-8
Ekmekci, A., Corkin, D. M., & Fan, W. (2019). A multilevel analysis of the impact of teachers' beliefs and mathematical knowledge for teaching on students' mathematics achievement. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44(12), 57–80. Retrieved from https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss12/4
Serrano Corkin, D. M., Ekmekci, A., & Coleman, S. (2019). Navigating the challenges of student-centered mathematics teaching in an urban context. The Urban Review, 51, 370–403. DOI: 10.1007/s11256-018-0485-6.
Corkin, D. M., Ekmekci, A., & Parr, R. (2018). The effects of the school-work environment on mathematics teachers' motivational beliefs for teaching: A self-determination theoretical perspective. The Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43, 50-66. DOI: 10.14221/ajte.2018v43n6.4.
Corkin, D. M., Horn, C., & Pattison, D. (2017). The effects of an active learning intervention in biology on college students' classroom motivational climate perceptions, motivation, and achievement. Educational Psychology, DOI: 10.1080/01443410.2017.1324128
Yu, S.L., Corkin, D. M., & Trenor, J. M. (2017). STEM motivation and persistence among underrepresented minority students: A social cognitive perspective. In J. DeCuir-Gunby& P. A. Schutz (Eds.), Race and ethnicity in the study of motivation in education (pp. 67–81). NY: Routledge.
Corkin, D. M., Ekmekci, A., & Papakonstantinou, A. (2015). Antecedents of teachers' educational beliefs about mathematics and mathematical knowledge for teaching among in-service teachers in high poverty urban schools. The Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(9), 31–62.
Corkin, D. M., Wiesner, M., Reyna, R., & Shukla, K. (2015). The role of deviant lifestyles on violent victimization in multiple contexts. Deviant Behavior, 36, 405–428.
Corkin, D. M., Yu, S. L., Wolters, C.A. & Wiesner, M. (2014). The role of the college classroom climate on academic procrastination. Learning and Individual Differences, 32, 294–303.
Lindt, S.F., Corkin, D. M., & Yu, S.L. (2014). Using multiple methods to distinguish active delay and procrastination in college students. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 4, 28–32.
Wolters, C.A. & Corkin, D. M. (2012). Procrastination and learning. In N. Seel (Ed.). The Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer: NY.
Corkin, D. M., Yu, S. L., & Lindt S. F. (2011). Comparing active delay and procrastination from a self-regulated learning perspective. Learning and Individual Differences, 11, 602-606.
Fan, W., Williams, C. M., & Corkin, D. M. (2011). A multilevel analysis of student perceptions of school climate: The effect of social and academic risk factors. Psychology in the Schools, 48, 632–647.
Corkin, D. M., Arbona, C., Coleman, N., & Ramirez, R. (2008). Dimensions of career indecision among Puerto Rican college students. Journal of College Student Development, 49, 81–94.