It has become a truism to say that diversity (in racial/ethnic group membership, gender identity/expression, language, etc.) is something to be cultivated and valued. Many reasons may be cited for this – ranging from moral or social justice concerns to practical or economic motivations – given that our world increasingly requires us to work and interact with those who may be different from us on some dimension.
A focus on diversity is particularly important for students of psychology, since psychology is the study of human experience and humans are incredibly diverse.
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M recognizes that the discipline has not always been particularly welcoming or inclusive of certain groups. Indeed, in many subfields of psychology, women faculty and members of historically disadvantaged groups in the U.S. were not allowed to get doctoral degrees until well into the 1960s and these groups continue to be under-represented at senior ranks, despite ever-growing numbers of women and members of diverse groups among undergraduate and graduate students.
At Texas A&M we are working to change this profile even as we recognize that progress is slow and incremental. We welcome your suggestions, your participation, and your support as we work towards a more inclusive environment and one that values all members of our community.
Members of the Psychology Diversity and Inclusion Committee include staff, students, and faculty representing different training areas in the department. If you are a prospective student, staff, or faculty member, or an existing member of the department and have questions or comments for us we would welcome hearing from you.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, the Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Committee members include:
Dr. Carlos Bolanos
Ms. Lisa Bowden
Dr. Shoshy Eitan
Dr. Mary Meagher (Chair)
Dr. Kathi Miner
Dr. Vani Mathur
Dr. Isaac Sabat
Dr. Brian Stagner
Dr. Jyotsna Vaid
Dr. Takashi Yamauchi
In addition, passionate undergraduate and graduate students actively meet as part of the Psychology Department’s Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee. For the 2017-2018 academic year, these members include:
Jessica Walker (Graduate Student)
If you are a psychology student interested in joining the Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee, please contact Dr. Mary Meagher for more information.
Below is a list of resources relevant to diversity, climate, and inclusion and Texas A&M.
- Office of the Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity
- College of Liberal Arts Climate and Diversity Committee
- ADVANCE Center for Women Faculty
- Women in Science and Engineering
- Women’s Faculty Network
- Black Faculty Alliance
- Christian Faculty Network
- Friends of India Network
- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Professional Network
- International Faculty and Scholars Network
- Jewish Faculty Network
- Mexican American/Latino Faculty Association
- Muslim Faculty Network
- Aggies to Aggies (A2A) Peer Diversity Education
- Aggie Allies
- Position Statement on Rights Psychology Graduate Students
We also house a research cluster in Diversity Science that bridge traditional areas of psychology. Visit us for more information about this area, and the people in the psychology department who are conducting cutting-edge on diversity related issues.