The distinguished professor emeritus is celebrated with the Association for Psychological Science's highest honor for her five decades of paradigm-shifting research on stigma, discrimination and resilience.
Brenda N. Major, a distinguished professor emeritus of Psychological and Brain Sciences, has received the William James Fellow Award from the Association for Psychological Science (APS). The award is the highest honor bestowed by APS, recognizing a lifetime of significant intellectual contributions to the basic science of psychology.
Major is one of three recipients of the award this year. The recognition also honors fellow awardee Dacher Keltner '84, who earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from UCSB and is now a professor at UC Berkeley.
The APS recognized Major for scholarship that is “creative, numerous, and deep in intellectual merit, with significant implications for society’s most important social problems.”
"I am thrilled to receive this honor and to have my work recognized in this way," Major said.
Major is an internationally recognized expert in the psychology of stigma and resilience. Her seminal research over five decades created a new paradigm for understanding prejudice from the perspective of those targeted by it, redefining the way scholars approach social stigma, discrimination and health disparities.
A Career of Distinction
This award is the latest in a series of honors for Major, who was also recently recognized with the 2024 APS Mentor Award. An elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Major has authored more than 200 articles and book chapters, in addition to two edited books. Her work has been consistently funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
Mary Hegarty, distinguished professor and chair of the department of psychological and brain sciences, praised Major's foundational work and scholarly legacy.
“I am delighted that Brenda has received this well-deserved recognition for her extensive contributions to advancing the scientific understanding of stigma, prejudice and discrimination,” Hegarty said. “Brenda is an outstanding colleague and role model, and she has been an inspiring mentor to her students and postdocs. It is truly an honor and a pleasure to have her as part of our department.”