PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee

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PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee

Our mission is to raise awareness and facilitate ongoing training and dialogue about issues related to diversity and multiculturalism. 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.

Mission: The mission of the PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee is to raise awareness and facilitate ongoing training and dialogue about issues related to diversity and multiculturalism, including but not limited to: race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, age, ability, and adoption. Members of the committee include both PBS graduate students and faculty who are committed to promoting multicultural knowledge, competence, and social justice within the department walls and beyond. As of 2016, the PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee is a registered Graduate Student Organization (GSO) sponsored by the Graduate Student Senate Finance Committee, PBS department chair, and other grant-funding sources.

Operating as usual

Congratulations to our very own Cierra! 😄

02/11/2020

Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amherst

Congratulations to our very own Cierra! 😄

Cierra Abellera, first-year social psychology PhD student, is one of 40 fellows to participate in the Yale Ciencia Academy for Career Development!

This week, these young science leaders will kick off their year as fellows at an in-person meeting held to coincide with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA. Fellows will participate in science communication, networking, science outreach workshops, and use improv exercises to build trust and a sense of community. Fellows also participate in the AAAS Meeting, which offers additional professional development and career exploration opportunities.

Abellera earned her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology at Boise State University where she was a McNair Scholar and conducted research on stress and resilience among university students that identified as refugees. Working with faculty member Evelyn Mercado, her current research focuses on resilience factors among recently resettled refugee populations and how intercultural relations influence this resilience.

Read more about the Yale Ciencia Academy:
https://www.umass.edu/pbs/news/cierra-abellera-awarded-yale-ciencia-academy-fellowship

01/22/2020

hot off the press! check out our line-up of incredible speakers for our retreat series!

12/06/2019

Thanks for coming out last night! Good luck to everyone in finishing up the semester!

BRiDGE needs your backing! We hope to reach 200 supporters to show the university that this initiative deserves their on...

10/30/2019

Help Diversity Sciences Inst. & BRiDGE broaden the STEM pipeline

BRiDGE needs your backing! We hope to reach 200 supporters to show the university that this initiative deserves their ongoing support. Please consider throwing in $1 and adding your name to the Donor Wall to show this matters to you!

For those who are not familiar with BRiDGE, it is a student-led initiative to highlight early career researchers from underrepresented groups with exceptional broader impacts. It first began in the geosciences department, and we have expanded it to PBS this year. We have invited 3 speakers this academic year, Dr. Richard Prather, Dr. Belem López, and Dr. Fantasy Lozada. Students have been engaging with BRiDGE scholars in critical conversations about identity, professional development, and broader impacts, which also gives us opportunities to expand our professional networks.

https://minutefund.umass.edu/project/16148/wall

Help UMass Amherst raise $2,400 for the project: Help Diversity Sciences Inst. & BRiDGE broaden the STEM pipeline. Your gift will make a difference!

10/18/2019

We have another fantastic BRIDGE scholar visiting PBS in a couple of weeks! Check out the website of Dr. Belem López (https://belemglopez.com/) to learn more about her lab and research!

10/08/2019

We're looking for graduate students and postdocs to mentor undergrad students! Check out our flyer for more info on how to give back to our academic community! #mentormeintobin

BRiDGE needs your support! Today, we launched a campaign to sustain our efforts to bring early career researchers from u...

10/06/2019

Help Diversity Sciences Inst. & BRiDGE broaden the STEM pipeline

BRiDGE needs your support! Today, we launched a campaign to sustain our efforts to bring early career researchers from underrepresented groups with exceptional broader impacts to UMass Amherst. Please consider supporting this student-led initiative by donating to the campaign here: https://minutefund.umass.edu/project/16148

Help UMass Amherst raise $2,400 for the project: Help Diversity Sciences Inst. & BRiDGE broaden the STEM pipeline. Your gift will make a difference!

09/23/2019

Today! Our first BRiDGE Scholar of the semester is here. Come by Tobin 423 at 12:15 to hear Dr. Richard Prather speak about the math behind how your brain learns math!

08/20/2019

We're excited to share the CNS Bridge Scholars for the Fall semester!

04/18/2019

Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amherst

The PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee has chosen Adaeze Egwuatu as the recipient of this year’s Wendy L. Helmer Memorial Graduate Student Award!

The winner of the first Faculty/Staff Ally to Graduate Students Award is Professor Lisa Harvey!

Pictured left-right: Adaeze Egwuatu, Kirsten Helmer (Wendy's wife), and Lisa Harvey

https://www.umass.edu/pbs/news/graduate-student-diversity-committee-honors-outstanding-student-and-facultystaff-ally

04/17/2019

ATTENTION PBS GRAD STUDENTS: Join us Friday (4/19) for some Doughnuts and Dialogue! There will be free coffee and treats, and we will have Dr. Chrystal George Mwangi there to speak on advocating for yourself and others as a graduate student.

We'll be in Tobin 423 from 10:30 am until noon. Stop by whenever you can!

We want to hear from you!! Nominations are currently being accepted for the Wendy Helmer Memorial Graduate Student Award...

03/31/2019

Wendy Helmer Memorial Graduate Student Award: 2019 Nominations

We want to hear from you!! Nominations are currently being accepted for the Wendy Helmer Memorial Graduate Student Award and the Faculty/Staff Ally to Graduate Students Award.

These awards recognize graduate students and faculty/staff who actively contribute to our community and work to improve the climate in our department for graduate students.

The deadline for nominations is tomorrow (4/1) so don't delay! Each nomination form takes between 5-10 minutes to complete.

The nomination form for the Wendy Helmer Graduate Student Award can be found here: https://goo.gl/forms/MCivSecdVw0D04813

And the nomination form for the Faculty/Staff Ally to Graduate Students Award can be found here: https://goo.gl/forms/zPGEaGzjNVqiZZUz1

The Wendy Helmer Memorial Graduate Student Award is a peer-nominated award that is presented annually to a graduate student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences who embodies Wendy’s spirit and positively influences the PBS community. This individual works to foster an environment ...

03/27/2019

Join us this Friday (3/29) from 12 to 1 PM in Tobin 423 for the next event in our retreat series, which will feature a round-table panel of PBS students and faculty! Lunch will be served!

03/07/2019

Join us tomorrow (3/8) in Tobin 521b at 10:30 AM for our next monthly meeting!

02/15/2019

Thank you to everyone who attended today's session! Please join us at our next event on Friday, March 29th from 12 to 1 PM.

02/15/2019

Join us TODAY between 12:00 and 1:00 PM in Tobin 423 for the second event in our diversity retreat series this semester: Recruiting, Retaining, and Supporting Students and Faculty of Color. We hope to see you all there!

02/07/2019

Join us tomorrow (2/8) in Tobin 521b at 10:30 AM for our first meeting of the semester!

01/28/2019

Join us TODAY between 12:15 and 1:30 PM in Tobin 423 for the first event in our diversity retreat series this semester: Recruiting, Retaining, and Supporting Students and Faculty of Color. We hope to see you all there!

01/15/2019

Join us for our diversity retreat series this semester: Recruiting, Retaining, and Supporting Students and Faculty of Color. The first event will occur on January, 28th from 12:15 to 1:30 PM in Tobin 423. To submit questions or comments you would like addressed over the course of the series, please fill out this survey: https://umassamherst.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_29sJi7P22O4YHit

10/01/2018

PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee's cover photo

10/01/2018

Join us tonight in Tobin 521a at 6:30 PM for our first meeting of the academic year!

04/11/2018

Congratulations to the 2018 winners of the Wendy Helmer Memorial Graduate Student Award, Genna and Krystal. Very well deserved honors!

04/03/2018

Minding the Gap:The Distance Between Compositional Diversity and Institutional Transformation

Thanks to all those who stopped by our Doughnuts and Dialogue event last week! If you weren't able to make it, here is the video we watched that accompanies D.L. Stewart's article "The Language of Appeasement". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aZYd3KmrkE

Dr. Dafina-Lazarus Stewart, Bowling Green State University

03/29/2018

ATTENTION PBS GRAD STUDENTS: Join us tomorrow (3/30) for some Doughnuts and Dialogue! There will be free coffee and treats, and we'll be discussing Dafina-Lazarus Stewart's article "The Language of Appeasement," which discusses how universities have avoided making meaningful change by focusing on diversity and inclusion rather than equity and social justice.

We'll be in Tobin 423 from 11 am until noon. Stop by whenever you can!

10/31/2017

ATTENTION PBS GRAD STUDENTS: Join us tomorrow (10/31) for some Doughnuts and Dialogue! Come learn more about the Grad Student Diversity Committee and let us know how we can best support you! Most importantly - there will be free coffee and treats!!

We'll be in Tobin 423 from 8 am until noon. Stop by whenever you can!

10/27/2017

Stop by the 4th floor of Tobin TODAY between 10 AM and 4 PM and check out the bake sale! All items are donation based and all proceeds go to support hurricane relief for Puerto Rico. Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amherst

The PSB Graduate Student Diversity Committee will be hosting its annual January Retreat on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18th, 2017...

12/06/2016

Walk the Talk: Putting the ALLY in RALLY

The PSB Graduate Student Diversity Committee will be hosting its annual January Retreat on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18th, 2017. Please Save the Date!

In light of recent national events, the theme for this year's retreat is "Walk the Talk: Putting the ALLY in RALLY." The morning will feature speakers and discussions about being supportive of and standing in solidarity with individuals facing various forms of oppression. The afternoon will consist of break-out groups and workshops centered on putting advocacy into action. For those who are interested, the Div Comm will also be organizing a trip to the Boston March on Saturday, January 21st. We would love for anyone interested to join us for any and all of these events.

Please complete the form at the following link to indicate your tentative interest and ability to participate: https://goo.gl/forms/r971MvVRXINfB1cB3

11/23/2016

Pride

11/23/2016

PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee's cover photo

11/23/2016

PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee

Address

Tobin Hall, University Of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA
01003

Website

https://www.umass.edu/pbs/diversity/diversity-committees/graduate-student-diversity-committee

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Our Story

2018–2019 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 New Orleans, LA. 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. This year’s retreat was titled, “Diversity in Teaching and Mentorship: Navigating an Increasingly Diverse Academic Atmosphere” and featured discussion about various aspects of diversity in academia. Northampton Pride: For the fifth consecutive year, the PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee participated in Northampton Pride, which took place on May 5, 2018. 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. This peer-nominated grant is awarded to a PBS graduate student who embodies Wendy’s spirit and commitment to social justice.