Dr. Phame Camarena earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a Masters and Ph.D. Degree in Human Development from the Pennsylvania State University. Phame also completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship from the National Institute of Health to explore how ethnic cultural identities shape the meaning and experience of mental health and achievement. 

For the past 30 years, Phame has been exploring factors that impact educational achievement and psychological adjustment across the transition from childhood to adulthood while working in administrative roles to promote student adjustment and achievement in higher education. The potential for Honors education to transform lives and elevating the educational success of first- generation college students, remains central to Phame’s work as the Dean of the Conroy Honors College at New Mexico State University.