Meet the Authors
Danielle Dickens, PhD.
Full Professor of Psychology
Spelman College Atlanta GA
Dr. Danielle Dickens received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Spelman College, and her master’s and doctorate degrees in applied social and health psychology from Colorado State University. Dr. Dickens is most interested in examining how Black women experience discrimination, utilization of identity shifting as a coping strategy, and the benefits and costs of identity shifting on Black women’s health. Her second line of research examines social-psychological determinants of academic and career development of Black women. She is a recipient of the 2019 American Psychological Association (APA) Division 35 Mary Roth Walsh Teaching the Psychology of Women Award and the 2020 APA Division 35 Section 1 Psychology of Black Women Mentorship Early Career Award.
Dionne P. Stephens, PhD.
Full Professor of Psychology
Florida International University Miami FL
Dr. Dionne Stephens is a Professor of Psychology at Florida International University whose work centers the lives, identities, and well-being of Black women. A health inequities scholar committed to social justice, she examines how culture, media, identity, and social environments shape Black women’s health, relationships, and everyday experiences.
Her interdisciplinary scholarship spans sexual health, gender and sexual scripts, digital and popular culture, and global health. Across her research, teaching, and community engagement, Dr. Stephens is committed to amplifying Black women’s voices, challenging narrow representations, and bringing psychological research into conversation with the realities of Black women’s lives.
Her work has been recognized by the American Psychological Association, National Institutes of Health, and National Institute for Teaching & Mentoring.