GSO - Psychology Grad Students Diversity Committee

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.

Annual 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 awards a $400 travel grant to a UMass undergraduate to present original, diversity-related research at the CUDCP midwinter.

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. Here is a list of diversity colloquia and diversity retreats from 2008–2016.

Northampton Pride:  Every year the PBS Graduate Student Diversity Committee participates in Northampton Pride. Co-sponsored by the Psychological Services Center, PBS Graduate Student Committee members work 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.