Ashley Maynard

Ashley Maynard, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and a recognized authority on the intersection of culture and human development. For more than three decades, she has conducted intensive longitudinal fieldwork in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, investigating how macro-level social changes—from the rise of a money economy to the rapid uptake of formal schooling—reshape the cognitive and social lives of Zinacantec Maya children and families.

Her debut children’s book, Paxku' and the Temples of Palenque, is the literary culmination of this lifelong ethnographic journey. Dr. Maynard has long explored how history is not a static artifact, but a living presence etched into daily routines, ancestral languages, and the intricate patterns of Maya textiles. Through this story, she seeks to bridge the gap between academic inquiry and cultural heritage, offering young readers a window into a community where the ancient and the modern coexist.

Ashley resides in Honolulu, Hawai'i, where she continues to teach, research, and advocate for the power of storytelling to foster global cultural literacy. When she isn't in the classroom or the field, she is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of explorers to see the world through a lens of deep empathy and historical continuity.