The University of Oregon is hosting the third biennial American Psychological Association Division 45 Research Conference June 19-21 at the Lillis Business Complex and the Ford Alumni Center.

APA Division 45 – the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race – is the largest multiethnic organization of psychologists with nearly 900 members.

The conference will feature state-of-the-art research on the psychology of U.S. ethnic-minority groups, preconference workshops for professional development and networking opportunities for researchers and students.

Plenary speakers include William Cross of the University of Denver who is known for his research on black identity and Margaret Beale Spencer of the University of Chicago who is known for her research on resiliency, identity and competence formation processes for diverse youth in the United States and abroad.

Psychology professor Gordon Nagayama Hall, the associate director of research in the Center on Diversity and Community, will co-chair the conference. His leadership in APA Division 45 is an important factor in the APA’s decision to host the conference at the UO. He served on the conference planning committee for the previous two conferences in 2010 and 2012, was president of Division 45 from 1994-95 and served as editor of the Division 45 journal, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, from 2005-09.

“Hosting the national conference will bring positive national exposure to the UO by communicating that the UO supports cultural diversity research in psychology, despite the limited number of UO researchers in this increasingly important area,” said Hall. “It will create the opportunity for research collaborations with researchers from other universities for faculty and students who otherwise may feel isolated.”

For the complete conference schedule and list of confirmed speakers visit the event website.

―By Katherine Cook, Public Affairs Communications intern