INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Commencement .............. 2

Psychology Graduates...... 2

Student Features ............. 3

Holiday Project ............... 4

Gaffney Lecture Series ..... 4

Student Organizations ..... 5

Message from the Chair ... 6

Welcome New Faculty ..... 6

Student/Alumni Mixer..... 7

Alumni Feature ............... 8

A Look Back .................... 9

Upcoming Events………….10

Get PSYCHED! by The ‘House

A publication designed to highlight the Department of Psychology’s commitment and dedication to grow thoughtful and servant leaders steeped in a holistic understanding of behavior, while also upholding the

values and mission of Morehouse College. Fall 2018

Volume 1, Issue 1

Commencement 2018 CELEBRATING OUR NEWEST MOREHOUSE MEN!

At 5:45 a.m. King Chapel, on most mornings, would be quiet and

locked up tight with only the joyous spirit of its rich history flowing about.

However, on this special day, Sunday, May 20, 2018, this sacred space,

dedicated in 1978 in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is filled with

nearly 400 Men of Morehouse waiting for their moment to grace the stage and

embark on their journey as Morehouse Men. Within the countless memories of

this magnificent experience, one can easily be overcome with an ineffable,

breathtaking feeling of wonder as you hear the rhythmic drumbeats leading the

processional, or as you focus on the regal voice of Dr. Anne Wimbush Watts as

it fills the campus. From parents to faculty to beloved friends and family, all

are present at this moment to jubilantly bear witness to the educational

(continued on page 2)

L to R: MarTáze Gaines, Maceo Dingle, Kevin Cornwall, Brian Tunson, Jr., Johntavis Williams, Jordan Gayle, Robert Cummings

“It is not your environment, it is you- the quality of your mind, the integrity of your soul and the determination of your will that will decide your future and shape your life.” -Benjamin E. Mays

Post-Graduation Plans

Maceo Dingle Will pursue a Juris Doctorate degree at the Howard

University School of Law.

Dee-André Ferguson Will pursue a Master of Social Work degree at Columbia

University’s School of Social Work.

MarTáze Gaines Will pursue a Master of Education degree at Vanderbilt

University in the Peabody College’s Community

Development and Action Program in the Department of

Human and Organizational Development.

James Garrett Will pursue a Master of Social Work degree at the Whitney

M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work at Clark Atlanta

University.

Alexander Harris, Jr. Will pursue a Master of Arts degree in the Learning

Sciences Program at Northwestern University’s School of

Education and Social Policy.

Lebert Lester, III Will pursue a Master of Arts degree in the General

Psychology Program at Central Connecticut State

University.

Daniel Satterthwaite Will pursue a Master of Education degree in the Educational

Psychology-Social Foundations Program at the University of

Virginia’s Curry School of Education.

Evan White Will join the staff at Patagonia’s corporate office in Ventura,

California as an Intern in their Human Resources Department.

COMMENCEMENT 2018 (Continued from front page)

WHERE ARE THEY GOING? SOME OF OUR PSYCHOLOGY GRADUATES SHARE THEIR

POST-GRADUATION PLANS

achievement these young men have

dedicated their lives to over the past

four years, which now culminates in

this glorious commencement

ceremony!

The Department of Psychology

congratulates all of the 2018 graduates.

May your path be protected as you

make your way to changing our world

and the lives of others for the better.

Congratulations to our new alumni!

Kevin P. Cornwall Robert T. Cummings

Maceo S. Dingle Dee-André D. Ferguson

MarTáze T. Gaines James R. Garrett Jordan O. Gayle

Alexander D. Harris, Jr. Robert V. Johnson, Jr.

Debonaire A. Laws Lebert F. Lester, III

Morris E. Reese Alex A. Roberts

Daniel A. Satterthwaite Brian T. Tunson, Jr.

Evan B. White Jalen J. Williams

Johntavis Williams

2

Page 2

Psychology‘s Top Senior, Alexander Harris, Jr.

Psychology graduate, James Garrett

Service is embedded within the Psychology Department’s mission; thus growing servant leaders is central to our mission.

Therefore, when Isaac Taggart ‘14, Vice President of Planting a Seed International (PASI) contacted then Psychology Chair, Dr. David Wall

Rice to request financial sponsorship for a psychology major to participate in the Liberia West Africa Fellowship Program, it was with no

hesitation that Dr. Rice reviewed the program details and pledged the department’s full support. From the psychology majors who

completed the program’s application and interview process, Jordan Johnson, a senior psychology major, received the pledged program

sponsorship.

Sharing a portion of Jordan’s reflection on his experience illustrates the importance of service to others and to the broader

community.

Traveling abroad totally changes your personality. When you go somewhere you haven’t been before it changes your mindset,

how you view things, your behavior and your outlook on life itself.

This trip was the best trip I’ve taken out of the country. I was able to make an impact and difference in many people’s lives in a

week’s worth of time. My main goal was to get an understanding of the people to see what they valued, what made them resilient, what

they needed, and what can be done to make their lives better for when I do get back I get to make a huge difference. I want to give a huge

thank you to the psychology department and Isaac Taggart for making all of this possible. This experience has changed my life for the

better and has added to my drive. Since this trip I’ve been able to elevate mentally, spiritually, financially, and also help others do the

same and it’s been great. I plan on continuing to work with the PASI organization and going back to Liberia when I get chance to. I

definitely have to say if you’re looking for an experience to make an impact in another country, this study abroad trip is the one you’re

looking for. Not only will you be able to make an impact but you’ll get to enjoy a beautiful country. Liberia will always be my home when

I go to Africa, and it’s safe to say that it’s Liberia West Africa I call home. Jordan’s full reflection can be read here,

Jordan T. Johnson_Giving Back in Liberia_Fall 2017 .

Page 3

“This trip to Liberia changed my

perspective on life and how I

value my time; it increased my

level of discipline; and it made

me realize the overall importance

of community service. While in

Liberia, it is more about the

interaction with the people and

being present in the moment.

That sets the foundation for the

trip.”

-Jordan Johnson (2017 PASI Fellow)

Giving Back: A Psychology Major Reflects on a Life Altering Experience

Jord

an

Joh

nso

n in

Lib

eria

What Did You Do This Summer? Senior Psychology Major, Jabarey Wells Shares His

Summer 2018 Research Experience This summer I participated

in the Summer Research

Opportunities Program (SROP) at the

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

campus. I worked under Dr. Myles

Durkee in the Personality & Social

Contexts area in the psychology

department. Dr. Durkee focuses on

how youth navigate racial identity in

academic settings, and has recently

been conducting research on the

effects of cultural invalidations on

Black and Latinx college students. Dr.

Durkee, in collaboration with faculty

from other universities, has been

collecting data through the Minority

College Cohort Study (MCCS). In this

study, Black and Latinx college

students from universities in the state

of Illinois have been surveyed on

various aspects of their college

experience, racial identity, and health.

The MCCS is a longitudinal study,

meaning that the participants were

first surveyed at the beginning of their

freshman year in 2013, and have been

surveyed in different waves leading

up to today in order to track changes

as they progressed through college.

One of my main tasks was to conduct

phone interviews with participants for

the last wave of data collection. I

spoke to students about what they are

doing now, how they identify racially,

how their schooling affected their

thoughts about race, and if they have

ever been accused of “acting white.” I

also utilized established data from

previous waves of the MCCS to

conduct an independent project titled

“Racial Identity, Discrimination, and

Political Activism.” Specifically, I

examined the relationship between

the strength of college students’ racial

identity and the amount of political

activism they were involved in, with

experience of racial microaggressions

as the mediating variable. At the end

of the program, I presented my

research poster at a symposium with

the other SROP participants. The

SROP program at University of

Michigan was an excellent program; it

included research guided by a faculty

member in my field of interest, free

GRE courses and materials, graduate

school seminars, networking

opportunities, panels with current

graduate students, and a considerable

stipend. I enjoyed my time in the

program, and felt that they did a good

job of providing resources to help

students with preparing for and

applying to graduate school. I highly

recommend that any student planning

to pursue a graduate education,

especially a Ph.D., apply to the SROP

program, including students in the

humanities and social sciences.

For more information on SROP, visit

SROP Student Information.

Additional Congratulations goes out to Jabarey for placing 3rd in the Poster

Presentations at the 21st Annual AUC Psychology Research Day, held on April 17, 2018. He is also the first recipient of

a new scholarship dedicated to the Department of Psychology by the

generosity of Robert and Magnoria Meekins Smothers, in honor of Mr. Smothers, ‘54, who passed away 14

months ago. Information on this scholarship can be found here,

RobertandMagnoriaSmothersScholarship

GREAT JOB!

UPLIFTING THE COMMUNITY: One family at a time

PSYCHOLOGY LECTURE SERIES MARKS ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR

On select Tuesdays at 11am, Psychology students as well as faculty, staff, and

students across the Atlanta University Center have an opportunity to attend the Eddie

D. Gaffney Faculty Lecture Series presentations. In honor of the late Eddie Dean

Gaffney, ‘70, a beloved alumnus, instructor, campus dean, brother and friend, the

Department of Psychology hosts a monthly lecture in Dansby Hall. This year’s series

provided a vast array of interesting and relevant presentation topics.

“Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.” -Dorothy I. Height

Uplifting a family during the holiday season has become a tradition. Thanks to

the continued generosity of psychology students, faculty, and staff, the Department of

Psychology through the Fulton County Department of Family and Children Services

(DFACS), sponsors a single parent family in need. Each December, since 2003, the

Department of Psychology has come together to purchase gifts and deliver them to a local

family. The 2017 project raised $510 in donations. Though this annual commitment is

done without desire for recognition, the Volunteer Services Department of Fulton County

DFACS bestowed the Morehouse College Department of Psychology with their Longevity

Service Award on May 16, 2017.

2017 Holiday Project gifts

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AY

2017-20

18 L

ectu

res

Aside from end of the semester yoga sessions in the fall

and spring semesters, MPA also hosted a Healing Our He(ARTS)

Event on Thursday, March 22, 2018. Healing Our He(ARTS)

provided students of Morehouse College with the opportunity to

heal through art.

On April 16, 2018, Faculty Advisor, Dr. Yohance Murray

and Morehouse Chapter President, Daniel Satterthwaite, led the

membership induction of 7 psychology majors.

Emmanuel Badru Dee-André Ferguson Cai Johnson Lebert Lester, III Kenton McNeal Myles Washington Jabarey Wells

PSYCHOLOGY’S STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Morehouse Psychological Association (MPA) and Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology

Page 5

Morehouse Chapter Contact Information:

Dr. Yohance Murray, Advisor

Yohance.murray@morehouse.edu

Membership Criteria: Psi Chi Membership Criteria

MPA Contact Information:

Alfred Craig,

Student President

morehousepa@gmail.com

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Page 6

Starting in August 2018, Dr. Maya A. Corneille will join the Department of Psychology as a Visiting Professor. Included in her

fall 2018 teaching load, Dr. Corneille will teach a new psychology elective, Psychology of Gender (CRN 45907, HPSY 479-03,

Tuesdays 1pm-4pm).

Background:

Dr. Maya Aisha Corneille is an Associate professor of psychology at North Carolina A&T State University and a Visiting

Professor at Morehouse College. Dr. Corneille received her Master’s degree in child clinical psychology from Virginia

Commonwealth University and a PhD. in social psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has taught many

courses, but her favorites are Black Psychology, Helping and Healing, and Psychology of Gender. She is the co-director of

the Collective Health and Education Equity Research (CHEER) Collective. The CHEER Collective seeks to (1) build knowledge and collective action

plans to enhance Black wellness and educational opportunities, (2) identify strategies to dismantle structural inequalities, and (3) understand ways

to build upon collective strengths in the Black community. Her research uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine reducing the

negative impacts of racism and sexism on sexual health, HIV/AIDS prevention, cardiovascular health, and education leadership. Her research has been

funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Mental Health, and the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at the University of

California, San Francisco.

Welcome To The ‘House! Psychology Has A New Faculty Member, Dr. Maya A. Corneille

Welcome Back Scholars, I hope that you had a relaxing, yet productive summer. As we embark upon the 2018-2019 academic year, the Psychology Department is keenly aware of the sociopolitical environment which surrounds us. Your education does not occur in a vacuum and the national conversations around #BlackLivesMatter, the #MeToo movement, LGBTQIA+ rights, prison reform, the Poor People’s Campaign, access to healthcare, and so much more, play a prominent role in our lives and often make their way into the classroom. As a result, our theme for this academic year will be “Optimizing Mental Health and Resilience.” The Psychology Department is committed to creating an inclusive community that respects the lived experiences and needs of all of our students, faculty, and staff. We strive to optimize the overall well-being of our community members and create an environment conducive to learning, in and outside of the classroom. This commitment is realized by treating each other with respect, supporting one another, acting with integrity, and being active stewards of what Dr. Martin Luther King called, the “Beloved Community.” We have planned a number of exciting activities that we believe will greatly enhance your experience this academic year. We hope that you will participate and take full advantage of all of the opportunities available to you. In the words of our illustrious sixth president of Morehouse College, Benjamin E. Mays, “The tragedy of life is often not in our failure, but rather in our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in our living above our ability; but rather in our living below our capacities.” We welcome you to live up to your full capacities, this year and every year hereafter. Have a wonderful year!

Dr. Sinead N. Younge,

Associate Professor and Danforth

Endowed Chair of Psychology

“As a result, our theme for this academic year will be

Optimizing Mental Health and Resilience.”

-Dr. Younge

YOUR SUPPORT IS REQUESTED

Psychology Alumni - if you have not

already done so, please complete our

Alumni Directory Form:

PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS & ALUMNI CONNECT

On Monday, April 16, 2018, the Department of Psychology hosted its first Student/Alumni

Mixer. This informal networking event for students and alumni was planned in conjunction with the

annual Atlanta University Center Psychology Research Day. Additionally, this event provided a valuable

opportunity for current psychology students to network with alumni and learn from their expertise.

We welcome the support of our

Psychology alumni. There are

several ways to help. If you would

like to volunteer your time to

engage with current students for

mentoring or career related

seminars, please email us at

Sinead.younge@morehouse.edu.

Page 7

ALUMNI FEATURE

Page 8

Dustin T. Duncan, ScD (Class of 2005)

Associate Professor of Population Health

New York University School of Medicine

Twitter: @drdustinduncan Email: dustin.duncan@nyumc.org Phone: 646-501-2674

Dr. Duncan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health at New York University School of Medicine, where he directs NYU’s Spatial Epidemiology Lab. He received a BA degree in Psychology from Morehouse College, with a Public Health Sciences Minor. After completing his master’s in Public Health, he completed his doctorate and the Alonzo Smythe Yerby Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social Epidemiology all at Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Duncan’s research broadly seeks to understand how social and contextual factors, especially neighborhood characteristics, influence population health and health disparities. Dr. Duncan has over 120 publications and book chapters in leading public health, epidemiology, medical, geography, criminology, and demography journals. His research and that of the field of spatial epidemiology is summarized in his co-edited book Neighborhoods and Health (2nd edition) with Ichiro Kawachi (Oxford University Press, 2018). His forthcoming co-edited book The Social Epidemiology of Sleep with Ichiro Kawachi and Susan Redline focuses on social factors, such as neighborhoods, as they relate to sleep health (Oxford University Press, 2019).

Reflecting on his time at Morehouse:

Q. When you were a freshman, what did you think your future occupation would be?

A. First sem ester freshm an year , I thought m y future occupation w as going to be a clinical -community psychologist who conducted psychology and public health research. However, beginning in my junior year, I participated in research training programs and pursued public health and research-related courses and activities. For example, during my junior and senior years, I participated in the AUC National Institute of General Medical Sciences MARC U*STAR Undergraduate Research Fellowship and was a Research Fellow in the Social Epidemiology Research Center at Morehouse School of Medicine. These experiences piqued and solidified my interest in public health research.

Q. What was your most memorable course at Morehouse and why?

A. My m ost m em orable course at Morehouse w as “Introduction to Epidemiology” with Dr. Bill Jenkins, who remains a strong mentor of mine and actually attended my dissertation defense. I talked with Dr. Jenkins for hours after most class sessions about public health and epidemiology. If it had not been for that class or Dr. Jenkins, I honestly don't know what career I would have at the moment.

Q. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to your junior year self?

A. If I could tell my junior self something it would be you are on your way, so do not worry so much! I always planned every step in college and really still to this day. Perhaps, I studied a bit too much in college. I do not have any regrets and certainly enjoyed Morehouse and my college years; however, I could have enjoyed myself a bit more.

Page 9

A LOOK BACK...

Upcoming

Departmental

Events

August 2018

Thursday, 30th Psychology Majors Meeting, 11am, African American Hall of Fame (King Chapel)

September 2018

Tuesday, 18th Gaffney Lecture Presentation, Ms. Alisa Porter

Dansby Hall, Room 200 (11am)

Friday, 21st Abstracts are due for the Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference, GURC 2018.

The conference is November 2nd-3rd on the Gainesville campus of the University of

North Georgia.

October 2018

Tuesday, 23rd Gaffney Lecture Presentation, Dr. Samuel Livingston

Dansby Hall, Room 200 (11am)

Monday, 29th Holiday Project Donation Drive Begins

November 2018

Tuesday, 6th Gaffney Lecture Presentation—Dansby Hall, Room 200 (11am)

Friday, 9th Psychology Day Trip to the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and

Justice, Legacy Museum and Memorial - (Montgomery, Alabama)

Tuesday, 27th Morehouse Psychology Research Day

Morehouse College

Department of Psychology 830 Westview Drive, SW Dansby Hall, Room 210

Atlanta, GA 30314

Phone: 470.639.0593 Fax: 470.639.0185

Website: http://www.morehouse.edu/academics/psychology/

Morehouse Psychology Facebook Page

Follow us on Instagram: @Morehousepsych