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Jeanett Castellanos, social science and Chicano/Latino studies lecturer and director of the Social Sciences Academic Resource Center (SSARC), has received the 2008 Star Vega Distinguished Service Award from the National Latina/o Psychology Association. The honor, awarded every two years since 2004, recognizes her service to the Latina/o community.
"Uniqueness is the most appropriate word that best describes the character and work ethic of Dr. Castellanos," says Caesar Sereseres, Social Sciences associate dean of undergraduate studies. "She represents the best combination of a research scholar, teacher, mentor, and creative academic administrator."
A '94 UCI psychology and sociology alumnus, Castellanos completed her master's in counseling and doctorate in educational administration at Washington State University as well as a post-doctorate fellowship at Indiana University, Bloomington before coming back home to UCI in 1998.
Her nationally recognized work merges the fields of counseling and higher education with a particular focus on Latina/os. She has published widely on the topics including two books entitled The Minority in the Majority: Expanding the Representation of Latina/o Faculty, Administrators and Students in Higher Education and The Latina/o Pathway to the Ph.D.: Abriendo Caminos.
During her last decade of service, Castellanos has applied her research to the hundreds of undergraduate lives she has touched through her tireless passion to help students succeed. She mentors dozens of Latina/o undergraduates each year on how to conduct individual, data-oriented research projects, many of which have resulted in published articles and book chapters.
She counts, among her numerous accomplishments, having helped place more than 100 students into graduate school - a third of who have been at the doctoral level. Her efforts have also resulted in thousands of dollars in grant funding that have allowed students who otherwise may not have been able to afford it, the opportunity to travel and participate in research conferences and competitive programs across the nation in preparation for graduate school. In her role as director of the SSARC, she has developed internship, field study, community service, and leadership programs available to nearly 6000 majors in the Social Sciences.
At the state and national level, Castellanos has served on the executive boards of both the National (NLPA) and California Latina/o Psychology Associations (CLPA). Her work with the NLPA led to the establishment of local student chapters on campuses at UCI, Arizona State University, University of Wisconsin Madison, and Pepperdine University; all of which remain actively involved in providing Latina/o students with guidance and preparation for graduate training and careers in psychology.
In addition to her recent Star Vega Award, she was recognized in 2007 with the Samuel M. Turner Minority Education, Nurturing, Training, Organizational advocacy and Research (MENTOR) Award by the American Psychological Association for her commitment to teaching and training clinical psychologists to work more effectively with ethnic minority clinical populations.
"From developing national programming to mentoring students toward graduate education, Dr. Castellanos' service efforts and commitment are single-focused, yet multidimensional in approach as she contributes to advance educationally our Latina/o communities," wrote Alberta Gloria, psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and one of Castellanos' mentors, in her letter nominating Castellanos for the award. "Without a doubt, her service is exemplary."
Edward Delgado-Romero, associate professor at the University of Georgia and president-elect of the National Latina/o Psychological Association responsible for awarding the Star Vega award agrees, adding, "Her impact through mentorship and scholarship will be felt for many years to come."
Castellanos will receive her award at the 2008 NLPA annual conference in Costa Mesa, November 14-16.
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