2015–2016 Activities
Diversity Committee Undergraduate Travel Award: In conjunction with the Council of University Directors for Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee awarded a $400 travel grant to a UMass undergraduate to present original, diversity-related research at the CUDCP midwinter meeting in Miami, FL. This year’s winner was Patrick McGonigal, ’16. Annual Diversity Retreat: Each January, the PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee hosts a retreat, which is a daylong opportunity for our community to convene and learn about topics relevant to multicultural practice and research. Co-sponsored by the Mutual Mentoring Team Grant from the Center for Teaching and Faculty Development, this year’s retreat was titled, “The Party Line: A Psychological Perspective on America’s Top Presidential Issues.” Speakers featured our own Dr. Linda Isbell, who spoke on stigma and mental illness; Dr. Esther Shapiro from UMass Boston, who spoke on immigration and mental illness; and Dr. Elizabeth Morgan from Springfield College, who presented on sexual identity development. Here is a list of diversity colloquia and diversity retreats from 2008–2016. Northampton Pride: For the third consecutive year, the PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee participated in Northampton Pride, which took place on May 7, 2016. Co-sponsored by the Psychological Services Center, PBS Graduate Student Committee members worked alongside other nonprofit organizations to share information about local mental health services available to LGBTQ individuals in our community. Transgender-Affirming Initiative: In collaboration with the Psychological Services Center (PSC), the PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee is actively involved in an initiative to increase affirming resources and services for individuals who identify as transgender and gender nonconforming. Wendy Helmer Memorial Graduate Student Grant: In loving memory of Wendy Helmer, longtime PSC secretary and proud supporter and friend of the PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee, an annual $500 grant was established in her honor. Starting in the fall of 2016, this peer-nominated grant will be awarded to a PBS graduate student who embodies Wendy’s spirit and commitment to social justice.
