Department chair, Assistant Professor, University of Miami
Guerda Nicolas joined the University of Miami in August, 2008. She was an associate professor at Boston College in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology prior to joining the Educational and Psychological Studies (EPS) faculty. She obtained her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Boston University in 1997. She completed her pre-doctoral training at Columbia University Medical Center and her postdoctoral training the New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University, Department of Child Psychiatry. As a multicultural (Haitian American) and multilingual psychologist (Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole), her research is reflective of her background and interests. She also was the Assistant Director of the Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture (ISPRC) along with Dr. Janet E. Helms. Her current research centers on partnering with ethnically diverse and immigrant communities to develop culturally effective mental health interventions to combat depression, address issues of racism and racial discrimination stress, enhance the racial and ethnic identity development of children and adolescents, and promote individual, family, and community well-being. In addition, she conducts research on social support networks of Caribbeans with a specific focus on Haitians. Nicolas is also the president of the Haitian Studies Association.