Dr. Kiley Hamlin
Together, we can create a more equitable, diverse and inclusive psychology department community for all.
University students from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds face more challenges and have less access to opportunities. Financial aid is critical to lowering the barriers for students in equity-deserving groups. To help address this, psychology faculty, alumni, and staff developed the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund.
Dr. Kiley Hamlin (she/her), a professor in the department of psychology, hopes the new fund will create a more inclusive learning experience for psychology students. Dr. Hamlin is co-lead of the EDI Funding Working Group—one of nine working groups that were established to advance equity and inclusivity in the psychology community.
The working groups are collaborating on a number of initiatives that stem from the Psychology EDI Task Force’s report and recommendations.
“This fund was established by our very own psychology faculty, alumni, and staff. It will provide support to undergraduate and graduate students who have overcome historical, persistent, or systemic marginalization to achieve academic excellence.”
The Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund will help fund research assistant positions and provide the student funding recipients with critical learning opportunities to work directly with faculty researchers in a psychology laboratory.
Dr. Hamlin joins us for a Q&A where she discusses the working group’s goals and initiatives—and the how the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund supports students in their academic journey.
What is the main goal of the EDI Funding committee?
This working group is aimed at creating priorities and programs that provide financial support for graduate and undergraduate student research assistantships, in ways that support diverse students, including students who otherwise would not be able to have these research opportunities. Together with the working group co-lead Dr. Toni Schmader and working group members, we created the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund—a new funding stream for research assistantships.
Can you tell us more about the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund?
This Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund was established with faculty, alumni, and staff contributions. It will provide support to undergraduate and graduate students who have overcome historical, persistent, or systemic marginalization to achieve academic excellence. The fund directly supports research assistant positions and provides students with critical learning opportunities to work directly with faculty researchers in a psychology lab.
How can we support our students through this fund?
We’re thrilled that the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund is a featured fund for UBC’s Giving Day on April 5. All gifts to the fund on April 5 will be double-matched by UBC Psychology, up to a total of $2,500! To make a significant impact, we need your help. I encourage everyone to give what you can, share, and challenge others to do the same.
What other initiatives has the Funding Working Group developed?
In September 2022, we held our first Coming Home to Psychology event during UBC Homecoming. This was a chance for the psychology community to reconnect and reminisce with each other—while building some goodwill with our alumni. We launched the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund at this event. We also invited one of our alumni, Dr. Julia Kam, to give a talk, hosted a Psychology Research Showcase, and there was a fun Scavenger Hunt. This is an annual event and we’re excited to host another in fall 2023.
Can you tell us more about the EDI Funding Working Group’s priorities for the next year?
In the next year, our main goals are to select the first class of recipients for the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund and to continue our fundraising efforts so that the fund can support students in years to come. In particular, we will continue to engage our thousands of UBC Psychology alumni through our Coming Home to Psychology event, our newsletters, and social media. You can see a snapshot of our priorities here.
