2018 Innovative Teaching Award Winner

Dr. Salena Brody teaches Psychology as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Texas at Dallas.   Prior to this position, she taught for 13 years as a Professor of Psychology at Collin College, a community college in the Dallas area.  At Collin College, she worked with students to form the college’s first Social Justice Club.  This organization engaged the campus community around social justice issues affecting disadvantaged and marginalized people at local, national, and international levels.  The Social Justice club raised over $24,000 through small-scale fundraisers that were organized in conjunction with her Social Psychology students.  In 2016, Collin College selected Salena as the Outstanding Professor of the Year and in 2017, the University of Texas at Dallas honored her with a “Women Leading in Diversity” award for her community work.  Salena earned her doctorate in Social Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz and her bachelor’s degree at Boston College.   Her scholarly interests include action teaching pedagogy, intergroup relations/prejudice reduction, and social movements.   She is passionate about diversity education and serves as a co-chair of the SPSSI Teaching and Mentoring committee.