Colleague Alumni Magazine | Graduate School of Education and Psychology | Pepperdine University

New Psychology Faculty Honored By American Psychological Association

Thema Bryant-Davis, Ph.D., has joined the Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) faculty as assistant professor of psychology. She brings to GSEP extensive experience, passion, and expertise for research, counseling, and teaching, as they relate to trauma recovery. Bryant-Davis maintains relevancy in her teaching on trauma survival through the private practice she keeps in South Central Los Angeles. She also provides training for governmental officials who interact with sexual assault survivors.

Bryant-Davis was recently honored by the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Committee on Women in Psychology (CWP) with the Emerging Leaders for Women in Psychology Award. Esteemed for her service to women and advocacy, Bryant-Davis was notably selected for her scholarship addressing sexual violence against women, particularly ethnic minority women. The award was presented at the 2007 APA Convention in San Francisco, California. During the convention, Bryant-Davis chaired a symposium titled, “Activism and Advocacy in the Lives of Immigrant Women.”

At the APA annual conference Bryant-Davis also presented on “International Opportunities for Psychologists and Psychologists-in-Training,” where she spoke about international training and professional development opportunities for American psychologists and psychology graduate students. International psychology is another professional interest of Bryant-Davis’. She recently was quoted in gradPSYCH, a publication of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students, about gaining exposure to international psychology in the United States by attending U.N. meetings in New York. Bryant-Davis is one of the first and the youngest members of APA’s U.N. Team, which serves to contribute to the development and implementation of psychologically informed global policies that respect human rights and promote human welfare. In this role, Bryant-Davis represented APA at the U.N. World Conference Against Racism and was instrumental in drafting the APA’s first resolution against racism.

Bryant-Davis is a welcomed addition to the Psychology Division. The leadership role she is taking in the school’s Diversity Council as well as the mentoring and knowledge she imparts to students and colleagues is a shining example of the Inspiration for Change that GSEP strives to carry out.