The Michael Sullivan Diversity Scholarship Fund committee has selected three winners for 2020. They are: Diane Keister, University of Idaho; Erica Peppers, University of Tennessee; and Alec Smidt, University of Oregon.
Diane Keister’s research interests include disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder for underserved populations and the dissemination and implementation of culturally competent assessments and interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder and underserved populations. Her current research studies are investigating factors influencing treatment-seeking attitudes for individuals with developmental disabilities within indigenous populations using a community-based participatory research model. Keister, originally from Richmond, Virginia, is a second-year student of the clinical psychology PhD program at Idaho State University.
Erica Peppers’ research interests explore the physiological impact of minority stressors on mental health and health inequities. Her current research aims to better understand the chronic stress of gendered racism by exploring its impact on salivary alpha amylase (sAA), for which there is emerging evidence for its use as a non-invasive and sensitive biomarker of chronic stress. She would like to understand how dysregulated physiological stress responses inform health disparities experienced by African American women. Clinical implications of this work include potential contributions to deciphering what innovative methods could be developed and sustained to help mental health practitioners better meet the needs of African American women in a culturally relevant manner. Her goal is to provide evidence to practitioners of the chronic nature in which gendered racism is experienced, to inform culturally competent care and to improve psychotherapy outcomes for African American women. Peppers is a fifth-year counseling psychology doctoral candidate at the University of Tennessee.
Alec Smidt’s research focuses on the effects of interpersonal betrayal and institutional betrayal on those who have experienced these harms. Of particular interest to him is how institutional betrayal may exacerbate the effects of interpersonal trauma, and how certain groups (e.g., women, sexual and gender minorities) may be more at risk than others for experiencing both interpersonal and institutional betrayal in a variety of institutional contexts. Alec’s dissertation investigated how institutional courage (i.e., supportive, validating and comprehensive responses to reports of harm) and institutional betrayal affect psychological and physical health, as well as workplace outcomes, for individuals who have experienced sexual harassment in their workplaces. Currently, he is focusing on adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for transgender and gender-expansive youth, as well as characterizing non-suicidal self-injury in this population.
Smidt is a psychology fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine. He is also a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Oregon.
About the Dr. Michael Sullivan Diversity Scholarship Fund
This scholarship supports research/training and community projects in the area of diversity/multiculturalism. Awards up to $500 per recipient are granted once a year, and the winner(s) are announced in March. Grants support or assist applicants in covering expenses related to their projects or research.
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