Distinguished psychology professor Vickie Mays has received the 2024 Association for Psychological Science James S. Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award for Transformative Scholarship. The award honors members for their research that advances understanding of historically disadvantaged racial and ethnic groups or understanding of the psychological and societal benefits of racial and ethnic diversity, equity and inclusion.
Mays’ research in HIV, race-based discrimination and COVID-19 delves into mental and physical health disparities affecting racial and ethnic minority populations. Her work on the intersectionality of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and class effects on mental and physical health has influenced not only the field of psychological science, but also public policy.
Mays is also a professor of health policy and management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and director of the UCLA BRITE Center for Science, Research and Policy. She is a senior fellow in mental health in the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and a special advisor to the chancellor.
