Respecting Identities, Supporting Empowerment (RISE)
Current Highlights >>>
A Department Built on Belonging
The Department of Psychology at the University of Arizona is strongly committed to supporting a community of scholars not limited by age, socioeconomic background, race/ethnicity, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, language, disabilities, veteran or first-generation student status or the intersection of these historically marginalized identities. We strive to foster a respectful and affirming climate in which all students, staff, and faculty are valued and feel inspired to achieve their full potential.
Consistent with the broader University of Arizona commitment, the Department of Psychology seeks to facilitate understanding and valuing of individuals and cultures through its education, training, and research endeavors. The University of Arizona is a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution and American Indian and Alaska Native-Serving Institution, and the Department of Psychology is committed to attracting, admitting, supporting and educating students from the broad spectrum of historically marginalized backgrounds without limitations.
Department efforts to promote a safe and thriving workplace include community engagement activities to uplift individuals’ identities and foster a climate of belonging, identifying information and resources to facilitate our students’ and colleagues’ success, advocating for increased representation and continued excellence in health disparities research, cross-culturalism and identity-based research, and promoting teaching excellence through inclusive practice, scholarship and a broad set of course offerings.
As a student, staff member, or scholar in our department, you are deeply valued in the Department of Psychology.
Campus Community Connections
Campus Community Connections (CCC) is dedicated to building a vibrant, welcoming University community where students, faculty, staff, and our broader community feel deeply connected, empowered, and supported. Learn More >>>
Official University Reporting
The Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) works to ensure that the University of Arizona is a place where all members of our community can learn, work, and thrive free from discrimination and harassment. Report or Learn More >>>
A Decade in Review
The Department of Psychology’s RISE Committee began as an ad hoc committee in 2016 and has evolved to a formal department committee including a Director position that sits on the Department’s Executive Leadership Team to ensure a voice in all department matters. Over the past decade, RISE has led significant change to improve the inclusive environment, climate, and representation in Psychology. RISE contributes to faculty hiring including representation on most faculty hiring and contributing/leading targeted hires that increase the breadth of population work in the Department. RISE also contributes to the physical environment of the building including leading efforts to create accessibility ramps, update ADA compliance, create open floor plans, establish dedicated lactation space, and facilitate provision of technical equipment to support differing learning abilities. Finally, RISE helped to broaden graduate representation and promote a more inclusive culture and climate throughout the department.
Current Highlights
Stories of connection, research and impact from this year.
Community Matters
This semester, the department came together for a lively and memorable Community Matters event, hosted in collaboration with RISE and the Student Wellness Committee (SWC). As part of the broader Community Matters initiative, the event aimed to foster a sense of belonging by creating a welcoming space for meaningful connection, shared experiences, and mutual support across roles and identities.
From interactive “This or That” rounds to discovering unexpected fun facts about one another, including hidden talents like ballroom dancing, skydiving, and even a childhood radio commercial appearance, the afternoon was filled with laughter and meaningful conversation. Feedback from attendees highlighted the value of this relaxed, inclusive environment, with many noting how refreshing it was to connect across roles and build community in a more personal way. Suggestions from the post-event survey are already helping shape future gatherings.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event such a success. We look forward to continuing to build these shared moments of connection at future Community Matters events.
Health Equity Analytics Lab (HEALab)
The Health Equity Analytics Lab (HEALab) is a relatively new but productive lab in the Department of Psychology led by Dr. Melissa Flores. The mission of the HEALab is to better understand social drivers of health across the lifespan for Hispanic/Latino populations. We are especially interested in capturing the complexity of human social environments using advanced quantitative methodologies by leveraging both publicly available data and data that we collect.
The HEALab has recently launched a study focused on understanding modern contextual factors of youth and parents as they relate to cardiovascular health. In a collaboration with Dr. Sei Kim (Montclair University) and the SLAAY lab, the HEALab is gathering data on how youth and their parents use social media, interact with their social network, and how exposure to cultural and family strengths are associated with cardiovascular and mental health. The HEALab has launched recruitment for this study in the broader Tucson community!
Recent months have reflected a strong period of scholarly activity and collaboration for the HEALab. Graduate students, Rebeca Jiménez and Victoria Rueda presented their most recent findings as posters at the Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting. At the same meeting, Dr. Flores also chaired a symposium based on neighborhood contextual factors and health across the lifespan. Lastly, the HEALab digitally hosted Dr. Nadia Corral Frias (University of Sonora) to give a training focused on increasing inclusivity in open science practices. This work was a culmination of a recent Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA) grant collaboration between Dr. Flores and Dr. Corral Frias.
Kate Gardiner, UAHS BioCommunications Photo Department Manager
Message from the RISE Chair
I want to take a moment to thank the 2025–2026 RISE Committee. This was a year of transition, and I truly appreciate the time, thought, and effort everyone put in. Early in the year, the Committee identified social and departmental connectedness as a central theme. In support of this goal, we partnered with the department’s Graduate Student Wellness Committee (SWS) to develop the Community Matters initiative. The first event, held in February 2026, was a success! We created a welcoming space for meaningful connection, shared experiences, and mutual support among students, staff, and faculty. Community Matters will also have a table and develop activities at the year-end Department BBQ, further strengthening our sense of community.
The Committee also revisited the RISE website, engaging in discussions about its purpose and how RISE should be represented. We aligned a vision that reflects who we are while centering this year’s theme of connectedness. In addition, RISE supported a presentation, Insights on Assessing Student Writing, which highlighted a writing rubric grounded in an ecological approach aligned with Antiracist Writing Across the Curriculum pedagogy.
Thank you to the RISE members who shared their time and expertise by serving on faculty hiring committees for the Clinical and CNS programs and supporting graduate student interviews. Thank you again to the RISE Committee for a year of impactful work and commitment to fostering connection and support within our department.
-Linda Hollis