Two Wesleyan College alumnae were recently honored by the American Psychological Association's Division 35: The Psychology of Black Women. Robyn L. Gobin, Ph.D., Wesleyan Class of 2006, was awarded the Carolyn Payton Early Career Award, which recognizes the achievement of Black women who are early career psychologists, specifically for published work addressing the concerns of Black women and girls. Chelsie Dunn, Wesleyan Class of 2011, earned the Psychology of Black Graduate Student Woman Award, which supports graduate student research on the role of gender in the lives of Black women and girls.

Dr. Gobin serves as assistant professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she teaches courses that explore the intersection of trauma, diversity, and resilience. She also directs the Transforming Trauma and Mental Health Laboratory and supervises Master of Public Health candidates and Ph.D. students. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist at Graceway Psychology Group. Gobin earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Oregon. In 2017, the Wesleyan College Alumnae Association honored her with the Young Alumna Award.

Dunn is a graduate research assistant and adjunct instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University, and a doctoral candidate for the Class of 2022. Dunn’s work focuses on positive body image, gendered racism, intersectionality theory, sexual health attitudes, and behaviors. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles, and her Master of Public Health degree at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

Wesleyan Professor of Psychology Shelly Martin said, “Both of these Wesleyan women are adding to the body of research evidence about these important issues facing society, and then working to make sure the research evidence is translated into useful action. I'm so proud of the leadership they are providing and look forward to following the contributions they will continue to make over the course of their careers.”

With more than 2,000 members, Division 35: The Society for the Psychology of Women is a vibrant and active community of feminist psychologists, hailing from many walks of life, gender identities, and racial and ethnic backgrounds and experiences. In particular, the division is dedicated to assisting students and early career psychologists as they enter the field, as well as acknowledging the accomplishments of mid-career and seasoned professionals.

Section I: The Psychology of Black Women began in 1984 as a committee on Black women's concerns. Its purpose and vision is to create a forum where black women can network and get mentoring and support from each other and to provide outreach and guidance to black female students in psychology.