Mary T. Guerrant received her BA and BM from Centenary College of Louisiana in 2012, and completed her Master of Science in Psychology from North Carolina State University in 2014. Mary has experience teaching personality psychology, behavioral research methods, and women’s and gender studies. She is an active member of the American Psychological Association, including serving as the chair of the graduate student committee for APA’s Psychology of Women Section IV (LBT Concerns), a member of the APAGS Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, the co-coordinator for the APAGS LGBT Graduate Student Mentoring Program, and a member of the Psychology of Women Quarterly student advisory board. She is also a member of the Society for Community Research and Action, serving on the International Committee.

Inspired by her international experiences in countries such as India and Haiti, Mary’s research centers on intersectionality in populations considered ‘margins within margins’—specifically racial and ethnic minority LGBTQ individuals and Latino/a LGBTQ immigrants. Her current research utilizes a strengths-based, participatory action approach to understand and reduce health disparities in the LGBTQ immigrant community, while empowering persons to become advocates for their own health through interventions designed to increase self-efficacy, social support, and sense of community belonging. She has presented her research both nationally and internationally.

Outside of academia and research, Mary enjoys cycling, attending local concerts, craft beer, beach and mountain trips, spending time with her partner and their two dogs (Bailey and Daisy) and cat (Weasel), and traveling as often as possible.

Melissa entered the Psychology in the Public Interest program in Fall 2013. She currently serves as Lead TA and GrASP President. Melissa’s research interests center on intergroup processes and social identity theories, and what leads those with power and privilege to move beyond sympathy to identification with those with less power and privilege. Specifically, she is interested in males who identify as feminists, in order to understand what leads men to join in unity with women in the movement for gender equality.

 

Heather entered the PsyPI program in the fall of 2014, after completing her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati. She has participated in various research projects examining the role of stereotypes upon womens’ performance in school and the workplace, as well as their presence in the media and their consequences for female viewers. Her primary research interest is STEM education and involvement in community colleges and online communities.

Hilary entered the Psychology in the Public Interest program in 2012, after graduating with a BA in Psychology & Philosophy from Furman University (Greenville, SC). She has been a TA for PSY 220 and PSY 230. Hilary is a member of the Stereotypes Lab, as well as a diversity training facilitator for the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI). Her research interests include issues of gender in areas such as leadership, sense of community, and sense of responsibility for communities.

Grace entered the Psychology in the Public Interest (PsyPI) program in fall 2010 after graduating Summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina Asheville with a B.A. in Psychology and distinction as a University Research Scholar in 2009. She earned a Master’s in Psychology in 2013 and is currently researching police officer training for domestic violence response to complete her dissertation. In addition to research on gender-based violence, she is also passionate about teaching and has taught Personality, Abnormal Psychology, and Learning and Motivation. Outside of academia, her favorite activities involve exploring mountains and waterfalls.