Irwin Sandler, Program Director
(480) 727-6121 phone
irwin.sandler@asu.edu e-mail
(480) 965-5430 fax

For application materials contact:
Ruth Ann Marinich
(480) 965-7607 phone
marinir@imap3.asu.edu e-mail

Arizona State University offers outstanding opportunities for graduate education in community psychology, particularly for students with an interest in children and families in stress, research with ethnic minorities, substance abuse research and those who are interested in developing and evaluating theoretically based prevention programs with children and families. Community psychology is an area of emphasis within a clinical psychology program that emphasizes the development of strong skills in theory and empirical research methodology and in program development and evaluation. Community psychology students benefit from a close relationship with our Prevention Research Center, with a strong quantitative methods program and with the availability of multiple active research programs. The prevention center focuses on the development and evaluation of prevention programs for children and families in stressful situations, particularly parental divorce, poverty and economic strain, acculturation stress and bereavement. The center is funded by the NIMH and consists of a multidisciplinary group of researchers. Students have the opportunity to test theoretical models of risk and protective factors that affect the development of mental health problems and strengths for children in stress. Students also have the opportunity to work on the development and evaluation of child, family, school and community-based intervention programs in community settings to promote healthy adaptation to stressful situations. Students also have the opportunity to develop strong methodological skills to conduct research in community settings. The program is located in a large and growing metropolitan area in the Southwest, that has a large Mexican American population, providing an excellent opportunity for cross-cultural research.

The program is heavily involved in research and action that promote the value of ethnic and cultural diversity. Several initiatives and ongoing activities demonstrate this involvement. The Prevention Research Center sponsors a Biennial Conference in the year 2000. A special issue of the American Journal of Community Psychology featuring studies presented at the conference is currently "in press". Faculty in the program have active research in research with ethnic minority populations, particularly Mexican Americans, including the study of acculturation and enculturation, cross-cultural assessment, and culturally specific risk and protective factors. Faculty also have ongoing projects in Mexican American communities to promote positive school and community adaptation and prevent the development of mental health problems. Fifty percent of the key faculty are Mexican-American and 42% of the students who have entered the program in the past 5 years are ethnic minority.