The PsychED (Psychology Equity and Diversity) Committee is a committee of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students committed to making the Psychology Department a place where everyone feels like they belong and are capable of reaching their full potential. Founded through a faculty initiative, we listen to the many voices that make up the department, organize events to strengthen our community, and consider policies and practices that can promote the thriving of all members of the department.
If you have ideas or feedback for the PsychED Committee, click here to fill out our form.
Psychology Department Call to Action Statement
The Psychology Department at Lehigh University aims to be a welcoming community where students, staff and faculty can have their voices heard and find a sense of belonging. Consistent with the values expressed in Lehigh’s Principles of Our Equitable Community, we as a department are committed to creating and maintaining a department culture that supports individual growth and achievement, recognizes and celebrates each person’s unique strengths and experiences, and fosters a sense of collective responsibility. We aim to live out these values by:
- Incorporating a wide range of perspectives and lived experiences into our classrooms, research labs, and department life.
- Providing accessible opportunities for learning, growth, and professional development.
- Reevaluating department policies and practices on an on-going basis to ensure that they are aligned with our values and updating them as needed.
- Engaging in annual professional development activities to improve inclusive teaching, mentorship, and research practices.
- Supporting and maintaining a department-level committee that organizes events and provides recommendations to reinforce our ongoing department commitments; communicates progress and opportunities for growth to the department; and coordinates with other relevant committees and activities both within the department and across the university.
- Dedicating portions of at least two departmental faculty meetings each academic year to discussing best practices and other topics that can support all members of our community in reaching their full potential.
Integrating these values into our department is fundamental to our identity as a community. As educators, our highest obligation is to support student growth, success, and well-being. Not only does implementing these values increase vibrancy and belongingness in our community, they are also instrumental to providing the highest quality of education by enabling students to engage with research and removing barriers on the path to academic and professional success. In addition, the breadth and depth of our research are strengthened through our expanded awareness of the variety of human experience and our ability to view psychological phenomena from many vantage points.
We recognize that there is substantial progress required to ensure all our community members’ experiences reflect these values. We pledge to support and sustain this ongoing process of critical self-reflection, evaluation, and implementation.
PsychED Upcoming Events
- Saturday, February 21st, from 3-6 pm: PsychED about Jigsaws (A Jigsaw Puzzle Competition)
- April Date & Time TBD: Graduate Student Poster Session
PsychED Committee Members
- Christopher Burke (Faculty)
- Alexis Smith-Flores (Faculty)
- Matthew Tong (Graduate Student)
- Melinda Westfall (Graduate Student)
- Arleth Cornielle (Undergraduate Student)
- Red Cortes (Undergraduate Student)
- Melanie LaCorte (Undergraduate Student)
