She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from UC San Diego. Her research interests include private foundations' role in community development, civic participation by immigrants in urban redevelopment, Latino parent involvement in urban education, and qualitative research methods. Dr. Cosio recently completed an NSF-funded project with two colleagues from UT Arlington on the role of schools in the adjustment of children relocated to the Dallas-Forth Worth area as a result of Hurricane Katrina. She has published articles in Education and Urban Society, the Journal of Civil Society, Journal of Leadership Studies, and Population Research and Policy Review.