Director
Dr. James J. García (He/Him/His/Él) is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Cal State Fullerton. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology from the University of North Texas. Dr. García completed his Pre-Doctoral Clinical Internship at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Health/Rehabilitation Neuropsychology at Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare. Clinically, he has worked with medical populations in across the continuum of medical care for over a decade, delivering health psychology interventions and neuropsychological evaluations to communities of color, Spanish speakers, and racial/ethnic LGBTQ+ patients. His research focuses on racial/ethnic and LGBTQ+ People of Color health disparities. He has published work in cardiovascular diseases, Latina/o/e/x health, and has an edited book published book on racial/ethnic LGBTQ+ health disparities. Dr. García has served on the Editorial Board Member of major flagship journals in his field, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Annals of LGBTQ Public and Population Health, and Health Psychology. He has also been Associate Editor for the journal Current Psychology, where he will Co-Edit a Special Issue on Diversity Science. In addition to research and clinical work, Dr. García has been involved in national and local level with community-based organizations, including his past leadership roles as Vice President of Outreach and Community Engagement for the Pomona Pride Center, his Past Chair role of the Interprofessional Health Committee, Past Member of the Stroke Leadership, Past Member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and a Past Member of the Stroke Psychological Health & Well-Being Committee of the American Heart/Stroke Association. Dr. García will be joining the Program Committee of the Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine (SBSM), where he will work alongside other members to organize the 2026 and 2027 SBSM Scientific Research Conferences.
Amy Do (she/her/hers) is a senior undergraduate student who is currently completing her BA of Psychology at CSUF. She hopes to pursue a PhD in a research-related field after attaining her bachelor’s. Some of her research interests include health disparities within minority groups (e.g., the LGBTQ+ community and Asian Americans), intersectional experiences, perceived gender differences, and eating disorders.
Kaitlyn Keys (she/her/hers) is a graduate student in the M.A. in Psychological Research program. She earned her B.A. in Sociology and Applied Psychology from UC Santa Barbara in 2021. Following graduation, she worked at UCLA, where she supported first-generation students and students of color. Kaitlyn’s research interests are grounded in social psychology, with a focus on community connection as a protective factor for Black and LGBTQIA communities. She is passionate about amplifying voices within these communities through mixed method research and exploring the role of resilience and belonging in mental health and well-being. She plans to continue her academic journey by pursuing a PhD in Psychology with the goal of becoming a social psychology professor and scholar dedicated to research, teaching, and community impact.
Jaquelyn (Jacky) Hernandez (she/her/hers/ella) is a graduate student in the M.S. in Clinical Psychology program at CSUF. She earned her B.A. in Psychology, Magna Cum Laude, in 2025 from CSUF. Her research interests include studying the biopsychosocial factors that can lead to health disparities in Latinx populations and exploring culturally sensitive interventions to decrease health disparities in Latinx communities. In the future, she looks forward to applying her research in her career as a clinician working with Latinx and socially marginalized communities.
Justen Baker (he/him/his/El) Is a current M.S. in clinical counseling student at CSUF. Some of Justen's research interests are Latinx and LGBTQ+ health disparities. Justen hopes to use his degree to help offer more culturally and socially sensitive therapy practices for Biracial and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Emily Camacho (they/she) is an undergraduate Psychology student at California State University Fullerton who began their educational journey at Norco College. They plan to use their degree to help vulnerable and underrepresented populations at the community level. After attaining their bachelor's at CSUF, Emily plans to further pursue their education at the graduate school level.
Masa Shah (she/her) is a first-year clinical psychology M.S. student at CSUF. She graduated from the University of La Verne with a bachelor's in Psychology. Her research interests include intersectional discrimination, health disparities in sexual and racial/ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ+ relationships.
Fatima Campos (she/her/ella) is a graduate student in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at California State University, Long Beach. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Services from California State University, Fullerton (Class of 2025). Fatima plans to pursue a PhD in Health Psychology to become a professor. Her research focuses on mental health disparities in Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities, aiming to advance equity and representation in psychology.
Adina Corke (she/they) is a graduate student in the M.A. Psychology program at CSUF. Her previous experience includes work in social psychology with the Queer Laboratory and education program evaluation with the Center of Research on Educational Access and Leadership, both at CSUF. She has a background in both quantitative and qualitative data analysis through her work and it is admittedly her favorite part of the research process. Her research interests are concerned with the relationship between body systems and mental health, especially where gastrointestinal health is concerned. She hopes that her career will allow her to contribute to efforts being made that catalog the details of these relationships in order to affect positive change in mental healthcare treatment.
Adel Ortega (she/her) is a junior undergraduate student at CSUF, in hope to earn her bachelor’s degree of psychology in 2025. Adel’s love for reading and watching media not only made her interested in cognitive development but also have the desire to represent more communities to be heard and learn from. Adel’s research interests include mental health disparities, cognitive process, adolescent development, violence, and aggression. She aspires to pursue psychology further in higher education to be a human resource for communities.
Dion Chon (he/him/his) is a graduate student for the Master's in the psychological research program at Cal State Fullerton. He graduated from University of California, Riverside with a Bachelor's in Psychology. During his time there he also contributed as a research assistant for Youth, Health, and Development lab. Dion has aspirations of utilizing research to promote healthy behavior change and prevent illnesses related to the mind. His research interests include health disparities, illness patterns, and health in the face of adversity