Highlights from the 2019 Diversity and Psychology Club

a large multicultural group of students gather in a classroom

The Diversity and Psychology Club (DPC) focuses on increasing awareness, knowledge, and skills regarding multicultural/diversity/social justice issues. They define diversity broadly to include race, ethnicity, language, gender, social class, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and physical appearance.

The DPC hosted a panel in which graduate students in psychological and brain sciences discussed their experiences applying to graduate school and their research in the social, developmental, and clinical psychology fields. The club also held a multicultural potluck for which students brought food from their cultures to share, and we discussed how food connects people and what it means to a culture. Hema Selvanathan, a graduate student in social psychology presented her research projects involving diverse populations in a talk titled "The psychology of social movements and social change“ followed by a discussion. DPC also held a food drive for the Amherst Survival Center collecting over 200 food items and $60 in additional cash donations.

Through meetings, educational events, bulletin boards, social activities, and guest speakers, DPC strives to create awareness of diversity and to provide support for students who are from diverse backgrounds and/or who are interested in pursuing careers that involve working with diverse populations.