Arizona State University expert directory

Viridiana Benitez is an assistant professor of psychology specializing in developmental psychology, studying how cognition, context and experience support language learning across infancy and childhood. 

She investigates how children growing up in monolingual and multilingual environments acquire language, aiming to identify the factors that promote successful learning in diverse settings.

Benitez directs the Learning & Development Lab and co-founded ASU’s Early Childhood Cognition Research Group. 

A first-generation college graduate coming from an immigrant family, Benitez earned her B.S. in psychology from the University of Houston, a doctorate in developmental psychology from Indiana University and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow.

She has been recognized for her mentorship and early career contributions, including the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Early Career Award from ASU’s Faculty Women’s Association and Indiana University’s Early Career Alumni Award.