Palo Alto University and Stanford Graduate School of Education have announced that they will co-host the American Psychological Association Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture) fourth biennial research conference on July 7-9.

The event is to be held at Stanford and will feature plenary speakers, symposia, paper presentations, a poster session and professional development workshops, as well as using the first day for a first-ever Native American pre-conference. This is the only national psychology conference devoted to research on the influence of culture, ethnicity and race in people's lives.

The conference was founded in 2010 by then society president Robert Sellers of the University of Michigan to facilitate research dissemination, career development and networking.  It is in California for the first time and is expected to attract more than 400 faculty, professionals and students from psychology and other health-related fields.

The conference is co-chaired by Teresa LaFromboise, professor of education at Stanford, and Joyce Chu, associate professor and director of the Center for Excellence in Diversity and the Diversity and Community Mental Health Emphasis at Palo Alto University. 

In addition to practitioners and scholar, members of the public are invited to register. Along with professional opportunities for career development, the event wlll includes talks on the latest findings from psychological research in Division 45 areas of study. Registration fees vary depending on professional status, Division 45 membership and which dates conference-goers choose to attend.

New to the event this year is a Native American pre-conference on the first day, July 7, highlighting the work of Native scholars from the United States and Canada.  Presenters include Native and First Nation scholars from the National Institute of Health, University of New Mexico, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, University of Washington and University of British Columbia. 

On July 8-9, leading scholars will discuss the latest work in the psychological study of race, ethnicity and culture. 

Among the plenary talks are: 

• Antonio Puente, president elect of the American Psychological Association and professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, "Psychological science, practice and politics:  The interface of clinical neuropsychology and death penalty."
• Joseph Gone, associate professor of psychology and American culture at the University of Michigan, "The thing happened as he wished:  Unbundling an American Indian cultural psychology." 
• Kimberly Balsam, professor at Palo Alto University, and Eduardo Morales, Distinguished Professor at Alliant International University, "The intersection of ethnicity and LGBTQ issues in research and health disparities"
• Jeanne Tsai, associate professor of psychology at Stanford University, "Cultural differences in ideal affect: Implications for mental health and other important things"

The event will be at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center at Stanford.

To register, please visit www.apadivision45conference.com/registration or email APADivision45Conference@gmail.com. Registration fees includes a complimentary Division 45 membership. There is a discount for those who register by 11p.m. (PST), Friday, April 29.

Conference organizers are seeking organizations and individuals who wish to be event sponsors. Names and organizations will be recognized during the conference and in its program. For sponsorship inquiries, please email Lauren Berger at lkberger@ucdavis.edu or visit http://www.apadivision45conference.com/sponsorships/

For additional information, please contact APADivision45conference@gmail.com, or conference co-chairs Teresa LaFromboise (lafrom@stanford.edu) or Joyce Chu (jchu@paloaltou.edu, 650-814-8376).

About Palo Alto University

Palo Alto University (PAU) is a private, nonprofit educational institution, founded in 1975 as the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology (PGSP), an independent, professional school. PAU is dedicated to education with an emphasis in the behavioral and social sciences; to promoting future innovators and leaders for the benefit of society; to generating knowledge through research and scholarship of the highest level; and to providing services to the community informed by science and scholarship.

About Stanford Graduate School of Education

The Graduate School of Education is preparing its roughly 400 graduate students to be the next generation of education scholars, policymakers, entrepreneurs, executives and school leaders. The GSE's 61 faculty draw from a variety of disciplines to produce scholarship that shapes teaching and learning worldwide; they translate research into practice through partnerships with schools, nonprofits and governments. The GSE offers the Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Arts and Master of Arts with teaching credential, as well as three joint degrees in public policy, law and business. It also has a program for undergraduates.

SOURCE: Palo Alto University