Scyatta Wallace facts for kids

Scyatta A. Wallace is a psychologist who studies how things like gender, race, and culture affect the health of young Black people in cities. She believes it's important for doctors and therapists to understand different cultures. She also thinks more people from diverse backgrounds should work in health care. This helps them better serve communities with different ethnic backgrounds. Dr. Wallace is a professor of psychology at St. John's University.

In 2012, Dr. Wallace received a special award called the Carolyn Payton Early Career Award. It came from the American Psychological Association (APA). This award recognized her work on how beauty standards can affect young African American girls. Her research looked at how different ideas of beauty might connect to how young people feel about themselves.

About Scyatta Wallace

Early Life and Education

Dr. Wallace grew up in Washington D.C. She saw how poverty affected people's lives. This experience made her want to work in a field that helps others. She earned her first degree in Psychology from Yale University in 1996. Later, she received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Fordham University in 2002.

At Fordham, she worked with Professor Celia B. Fisher. They researched how teenagers deal with stress and mental health challenges. Dr. Wallace also learned a lot from Olivia Hooker, a pioneering psychologist and civil rights activist. Her PhD research looked at how family, friends, and culture help Black teenagers make good choices.

Career and Research Focus

Dr. Wallace became interested in health during her PhD studies. She received a special fellowship from the APA. After that, she completed more training at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also worked as a scholar focusing on health differences from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from 2002 to 2004.

She has held important roles on committees for the APA. She also served on a working group for the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Before joining St. John's University, Dr. Wallace was a professor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. At St. John's, she won an award for her leadership, mentoring, and research.

Dr. Wallace and her research team work closely with communities. They use a method called participatory research. This means they involve young people in their studies. This helps to empower youth and improve their health and self-esteem. The NIH funded her research for several years starting in 2007. This project focused on promoting health and well-being among Black adolescents and young adults. Dr. Wallace's work has been featured in various media, including ABCnews.com and Essence magazine.