2012 marks the fifth year of the Michael Sullivan Diversity Scholarship. 

In 2011 there were 19 applications from around the country. Among the schools represented were: University of Wisconsin-Madison; University of Maryland; Argosy University; Boston University; Miami University; University of Tennessee; University of Akron; Texas Women’s University; University of California-Irvine; Walden University; University at Albany; Temple University; University of Cincinnati; Seattle Pacific University; and Wright State University-Dayton.

Last year’s winner was Ana Fernandez, MA, a fifth year student at the Long Island University/Brooklyn Campus. Her topic was Bilingual Hispanics and Linguistic Cues to Self-Construal. This research focused on the sense of self of bicultural bilingual individuals’ and how this sense changes in response to linguistic context. The hypothesis was that language functions as a cultural cue, influencing how bilinguals think of themselves and what values they espouse.

The winner of the 2010 Michael Sullivan Diversity Scholarship was Ariz Rojas, MA Ms. Rojas was in her the fifth year at the College of Arts and Sciences/University of South Florida (USF). The Sullivan Scholarship Award will help fund Ms. Rojas’ dissertation research.  Ms. Rojas is in the Doctoral Training Program in Clinical Psychology at USF. She is actively involved in USF’s chapter of Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology, the University Psychology Association and the USF Psychology Department. Her dissertation is entitled, “The Role of Acculturation in Adolescent Mental Health and Academic Achievement: Mediational Pathways." This research is intended to further the understanding of developmental processes within Hispanic families. This research is clinically relevant with implications for how to help families function better. 

In 2009 was Sangetta Parikshak, MS, was the winner Ms. Parikshak was in the clinical child psychology doctoral program at the University of Kansas. Ms. Parikshak was a past recipient of the American Psychological Association’s Minority Fellowship. Her research involved examining the motivation for academic success in low-income African American youth. This research was conducted in conjunction with Operation Breakthrough, a Kansas City, Missouri community organization that serves 600 low income African American children, ages one to 16. 

The 2008 winner was Janelle Hines, MA, a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cincinnati. Ms. Hines research project enlisted youth with sickle cell disease to develop educational materials and programs to inform the community about sickle cell disease and empower youth living with the disease.

Funding for the Michael Sullivan Diversity Scholarship has come from:

• Dr. Sullivan’s staff and volunteer colleagues at the American Psychological Association

• Many of the State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Associations

• Executive Directors and volunteer leaders of State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Associations who worked closely with Dr. Sullivan

• The Ohio Health Advocacy Network