Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitments

The Department of Psychology promotes a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture at all levels of our community. We commit:

  1. To actively work to eliminate the barriers that individuals from underrepresented and marginalized groups face at all levels in being recruited to, being admitted to, and thriving within the Psychology Department and NYU communities;
  2. To create and maintain an inclusive, safe, and welcoming environment for all Psychology students, faculty and staff, in particular regardless of gender identity and expression, race, age, socioeconomic background, national origin, disability, personal appearance, and sexual orientation;
  3. To listen and act when instances of intolerance, otherizing, and discrimination are reported by members of the Psychology Community;
  4. To equip the Psychology community with the knowledge and tools to combat intolerance, otherizing, and discrimination not only in our own community but also in the wider world.

Race and Racism in the Sciences

In collaboration with the Center for Neural Science and the Department of Biology at NYU, the Psychology Department holds an annual speaker series focused on race and racism in the history of science. Science does not exist in a vacuum, but in the context of social and cultural forces, some of which have been oppressive, exploitative, and dehumanizing. Across history and continuing today, prominent and less prominent scientists have taken part in racist ideologies and practices in the name of science. For example, genetics and IQ research have both been deeply intertwined with eugenics, people of color have been taken advantage of in medical trials, and racial biases of machine learning algorithms are often dismissed. The workshop will cover topics ranging from racial disparities in health treatment, genetics, curriculum for medical students, access to housing, to human subjects research, and data science. Attending the workshop was mandatory for PhD students in their first four years and strongly recommended for everyone else, in particular faculty.

For more information, please visit the Race and Racism in the Sciences series website.

 

Other recent activities (2020-2022)

In 2020, the DEI Coordinator conducted a pipeline analysis of our PhD student population that tracks the group’s racial and ethnic diversity, gender, first generation status, and economic disadvantage for the past 10+ years.The department created the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator position. One faculty member is elected to this 2-year position to respond to and improve the inclusivity and equity for all members of our community.

We know we need to listen more and to listen to more diverse voices. In Spring 2020, we created an Emerging Scholars Colloquium Series that invited junior scholars from underrepresented backgrounds to visit our department and share their research, in order to broaden the perspectives that are reflected in our conversations, and engage with our community. We are committed to continuing this series.

In response to the killing of George Floyd, the Department released a public statement.

In the following months, the Department held two Town Hall meetings for the entire Psychology community. The Town Halls resulted in the creation of 13 faculty-led working groups, which any member of the department can join. The working groups covered topics such as (a) mentorship for URM members of the Psychology community, (b) micro-aggressions, (c) the creation of a Workshop on Race and Racism in Science (see below) (d) a review of doctoral student finances.

These working groups met their goals and their work has been taken up by a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee comprised of two faculty members and two PhD students who are elected to this committee each year. The committee seek input from masters' students and undergraduate students, in addition to staff and all members of our community.

Increasing access

An important part of equity is to level the playing field for students from underrepresented, marginalized, or non-traditional backgrounds to apply to and thrive in their next career stage. The Psychology Department has worked on multiple initiatives in this area:
  • Virtual Summer Research Program: Every year, the Psychology Department hosts 5 days of virtual programming for underrepresented students, focused on skill building, professional development, research presentations, panels, and individualized mentoring. Applications for the 2021 internship are now open.
  • YouTube Channel: Faculty and graduate students recorded videos with advice on how to apply to graduate programs.
  • Guide to Applying to Graduate School Guide: This informational document compiles suggestions from recent PhD applicants and accepted students and faculty offering tips for preparing to apply for graduate school.
  • Partnership with Morgan State University: members of the Psychology Community traveled down to Baltimore for two days of social networking and panel discussions with their honors college to discuss applying to graduate school.
  • Virtual Preview Days: Every year since 2020, the NYU Psychology Department hosts two days of panels open to anyone interested in learning about our PhD programs and how to craft strong application materials. The preview days emphasize the recruitment of students from underrepresented groups. 
    Most materials are on our Youtube channel.
  • Preparing for graduate school Workshop: In 2021, PhD students in the NYU Psychology Department led a three-session series to guide and support current NYU undergraduate students who are considering graduate school. Sessions detailed how to get involved in research, explained what the PhD experience is like, and outlined how to become a strong applicant. The series will occur annually. 

SUPPORTING INCLUSION

Growing up in Science, founded by Prof. Wei Ji Ma, is a worldwide mentorship series that highlights the behind-the scenes stories of scientists and that tries to make academic science a better place. Many Growing up in Science events have themes related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and identity; video recordings of several anti-racism events can be found here. 
The road to earning a PhD is often long, winding, and bumpy. The advice and guidance of fellow PhD students can serve as a powerful tool to help new students and those applying for PhD programs have an idea of what to expect and how to navigate the grad school environment. In this panel session, current PhD students from various disciplines and backgrounds offer what they wished they had known before starting their graduate studies. Watch the panel discussion here.

Diverse Student Networking and Support is a two-day event that brings in panels of underrepresented faculty members from various universities and backgrounds. They share their personal and professional experiences as a minority group member in academia and engage in break-out sessions, giving underrepresented post-baccalaureate students, graduate students, lab managers, and post-doctoral students an opportunity to share, reflect, and ask questions about experiences that may be unique to this group. Organized by the NYU Psychology Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee with funding from the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator and The Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity, and Strategic Innovation.

NYU Access Grads – Psychology

NYU Access Grads – Psychology connects undergraduates with graduate students, research opportunities, and the scientific community at New York University. It is based on its parent program at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB Access Grads). We assist motivated psychology students from all backgrounds by pairing them with a graduate student mentor in the Social Psychology and Cognition and Perception (C&P) Department based on their interests and goals. Graduate student mentors give undergraduate menteess insights into what it is like to do science day to day, how to navigate the graduate school application process, and the kinds of careers they can have in psychology. Graduate student mentors can also help mentees get started in research by helping them find research assistant positions and independent research opportunities. More information is available here [NYU Login Required]