Cruz Vargas-Sullivan is a researcher on the PISA2 and Google CS Edge projects, targeting STEM and Computer Science education respectively, and has enjoyed being a part of several other projects at CCT. Before joining CCT, Cruz attended Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology. Apart from her studies and track and field commitments, Cruz spent three years as a research assistant on several university professors’ projects, varying from human health and development, to forensic psychology and plea deals, to implicit biases on weight, health, and attractiveness in African-American college students.

Currently, Cruz is a master's student in the Human Development and Social Intervention program in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at NYU. She is interested in socioemotional development in adolescence as a mechanism for improving the academic experience of Black and Latino youth. Cruz also works in NYU’s Child and Family Policy Center as a research assistant on the Authentic Assessment and Reading Readiness project.