Diversity
LSU’s Psychology Department is strongly committed to promoting diversity broadly defined, including but not limited to culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, age, etc. The Psychology Department formed the Committee on Diversity and Outreach in Psychology (CDOP) to foster an atmosphere that values diversity and encourages open dialogue about cultural issues.
CDOP organizes and facilitates departmental workgroups in which students, faculty, and staff work together on specific topic areas to achieve meaningful changes to departmental activities. CDOP also serves as the liaison between these workgroups and departmental faculty to ensure activities and changes are promoted beyond the workgroups themselves, and to translate words into actions.
CDOP Chairs
Faculty
- Dr. Raymond Tucker (co-chair)
- Dr. Paul Soto (co-chair)
- Dr. Anna Long
- Dr. Heather Lucas
Students
- Sydney Green
- Rochelle Picardo
- Erika Pugh
- Stephanie Saltzmann
CDOP encourages feedback about ways we can best serve the Department to meet our goals. Ideas for training, speakers, events, and other opportunities may be shared any member of the committee and will be discussed at our next CDOP meeting.
We strive to foster this atmosphere through the work of our current CDOP Working Groups:
- Training – Develop and promote activities to draw attention to the ways in which we can incorporate a greater understanding of diversity into our roles as researchers, clinicians, and teachers
- Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Faculty and Students - Develop and promote activities to support the retention of underrepresented students and faculty as well as recruit new diverse colleagues
- Community Outreach – Develop and promote activities that increase involvement in diversity, equity, and inclusion activities in the local community/support diverse populations in the community
- Evaluation - Develop evaluation strategies regarding the effectiveness of CDOP efforts and the general program climate regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Faculty Diversity-Related Research Interests
A primary aim of Dr. Buckner’s research program is to identify psycho-sociocultural factors related to substance-related problems and other health-related problems (e.g., anxiety, suicidal thoughts and behaviors), especially among individuals at particular risk for such problems, including understudied/historically underrepresented groups. Her research has included examination of psychological and substance use vulnerability factors among individuals who identify as African American/Black or Hispanic/Latin, as well as individuals from sexual minority groups. She has also examined the role of gender in these processes. Current studies include examination of the role of race-based microaggressions and other forms of discrimination on negative affect and substance use.
Current research projects include a qualitative study of African Americans in Baton Rouge regarding their interest in participating in dementia research studies and a review of the racial and ethnic diversity of research published in neuropsychology journals. Both projects are led by a current Huel-Perkins Fellowship recipient, Erika Pugh, under his supervision.
Has conducted numerous studies on factors related to African American children and family's adjustment following Hurricane Katrina, especially those from more impoverished backgrounds. Dr. Kelley has also conducted a number of studies extending evidenced-based treatments for children’s academic success to low income minority students and their parents and teachers.
The primary aim of Dr. Long’s research program is to improve the process of translating research evidence into everyday practice for children. Subsumed within this overarching goal is research aimed specifically at informing the field about culturally responsive, evidenced-based practice. Dr. Long examines the transportability of interventions to diverse settings and client populations, as well as the influence of cultural variables on individuals’ academic and behavioral-emotional well-being. She is currently mentoring a graduate student (Aijah Baruti-Goodwin) who is funded by the Huel Perkins Diversity Graduate Fellowship award.
Current projects include a mixed-methods investigation of the relationship between transition-related medical interventions and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in Transgender and Gender Diverse Veterans.
Our research involves developing ways to measure mental health using objective analysis of language, vocal/facial expressions and other behaviors. This research focuses on how these measures systematically vary as a function of race, gender, socioeconomic status, culture and other individual difference factors. We conduct collaborative research with a number of international organizations, and we strive to develop culturally-sensitive and accurate algorithms/methods as part of these projects.
Dr. Sullivan studies the impact of race on political and psychological outcomes. His current projects focus on the following topics: African American racial identity and reactions to and coping with discrimination.
LSU Psychology undergraduate student, Taylor Hunter, and Dr. Emily Elliott meet with a group of Upward Bound students completing a Twitter Challenge, and discuss the Psychology major at LSU.
Graduate Fellowships
The Graduate School administers the Huel Perkins Diversity Graduate Fellowship for minority students.
This is a four-year, well-funded scholarship that is intended to support the LSU and national goals of increasing the numbers of historically under-represented groups in graduate schools, including, but not limited to:
- First-generation college students from low-income families
- African American/Black
- Hispanic American
- American Indian
- Alaskan Native
- Native Hawaiians and other U.S. Pacific Islanders
All recipients must be newly entering doctoral students at the time of the appointment. Students will be considered based on the academic and non-academic strengths and achievements of all eligible students.
A second fellowship, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) – State Doctoral Scholars Program
This fellowship provides 10 fellowships per year statewide for support of racially underrepresented students seeking doctoral degrees. This fellowship not only provides a four-year, well-funded scholarship but also supplies multiple layers of support including:
- Academic/research funding
- Career counseling and job postings
- Scholar counseling and advocacy
- A scholar directory for networking and recruiting
- An invitation to the annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring
- Continued early career support
Current Huel-Perkins Fellowship Recipients
Sydney Green, Industrial Organizational Psychology Doctoral Student
Anthony Robinson, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Katrail Davis, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Taylor Miller, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Current SREB Fellowship Recipients
Kiara Warren, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Sydney Roux, Industrial Organizational Psychology Doctoral Student
LSU Diversity Statement
“LSU strives to create an inclusive, respectful, intellectually challenging climate that embraces individual difference in race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, spirituality, socio-economic status, disability, family status, experiences, opinions, and ideas.”
For more information regarding Diversity at LSU, please visit the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion website, or contact them in 135 Thomas Boyd Hall, by phone 225-578-5736, or by email diversity@lsu.edu.