She investigates how educators can support "marginalized" students, by drawing attention to their strong cultural and family ties, as a way of ameliorating the stress caused by feeling delegitimized as students from underserved groups. As a first-generation faculty member, Rebecca co-launched UC Santa Cruz's First Generation Initiative to foster a sense of community among first-generation students, staff and faculty. She has been recognized for her mentoring, teaching and diversity work, receiving both the Inspiring Lecturer Award and the Going Above and Beyond Award for the Department of Psychology, as well as the UCSC 2018 Chancellor's Achievement Award for Diversity. With her research team in the Culture and Achievement Collaborative, Rebecca engages in continuous learning and assessment of strategies that work to improve the daily experiences of diverse students.