Applying Psychology Research to Encourage DEI Practices

Lisette Horne is a second-year PhD student studying social psychology in the Department of Psychology. This past summer, she interned at the University of Minnesota Office of Equity and Diversity developing DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) resources and learning how psychological research can be applied to create a more diverse and equitable workplace.

How would you describe the projects you worked on? What were your responsibilities?

I served as the education program curriculum consultant for the University of Minnesota Office of Equity and Diversity. My top three job responsibilities were to conduct an extensive curriculum review of the Office of Equity and Diversity’s core workshop programming with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion skills and awareness for faculty and staff; provide resources for guides that encourage the community to take action for DEI work in their own lives; update descriptions of workshops to be more accurate to what the material encompassed.

I brought in a wealth of skills such as research, literature review, editorial skills, creative writing, project management, and scheduling. This internship provided invaluable experience conducting nonacademic research and workshop development to organize DEI teachings. 

I learned practical skills in workshop development, project planning, and qualitative data. Working with the education program team and other colleagues was an incredible opportunity to learn from their expertise and showed me that I work best in collaboration with others.

I also appreciated experiencing a great work environment that was person-centered, kind, and [filled with people] willing to learn from each other. My team was super amazing and taught me so much as an intern, as a coworker, and as a person. They are incredibly talented people with a passion for this work, and it was exciting to work with them in all aspects.

The most interesting thing I got to do on the job was to see how psychological research could serve in a real-world setting to encourage DEI practices and encourage real-world action to be taken.

How did you find your internship and what tips do you have for others? What are some takeaways from your experience?

I worked with Minnesota Transform and the CLA graduate internship program to secure an internship with the Office of Equity and Diversity. I wish I had known how important it is to start looking for internships early, to network as much as possible, and to dive deep into how your academic skills can be translated to nonacademic fields.

Through my internship, I learned just how much I like to work collaboratively, my passion for psychology within a DEI lens, and the importance of supportive leadership. This internship has helped inform my plans of working in a collaborative environment that incorporates research/research practices, whether they be DEI-focused or not because it is where I feel most fulfilled and what I feel most passionate about.

This story was edited by an undergraduate student in CLA.