Distinguished PBS Professor Emeritus Brenda Major was the recipient of the 2024 Mentor Award given by the Association for Psychological Science (APS). Her award will be presented at the 2024 APS Annual Convention, May 23-26, in San Francisco, CA. Distinguished Prof. Brenda Major is a past Fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and a Fellow and Charter Member of APS. Major’s research addresses how people cope with prejudice, discrimination, devalued social identities, and stressful life events. As one former mentee notes, “Brenda fosters this inclusive atmosphere in her own lab. She has been a strong advocate for training young women and minorities in social psychology and her lab consistently has a diverse array of graduate students and undergraduate assistants working collaboratively on research.” She is known for asking her students “so what?” and “models how to choose research questions that matter in the world.” Mentees have described her as “a tough and honest mentor, with high expectations, but also one who believed in them and is committed to supporting them in meeting those standards.”

Congratulations, Prof. Major!