Contact Information

Samuel Mather 302
740-427-5373 voice
740-427-5237 fax lopezi@kenyon.edu

Irene López is an Assistant Professor of Psychology, the Harvey F. Lodish Junior Faculty Development Professor in the Natural Sciences. She teaches in the Psychology Department, as well as for the Women and Gender Studies and Latino Studies concentration.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Dr. López is a clinical psychologist who studies psychopathology using a cross-cultural and feminist lens. Her areas of interests are in the intersection of psychology and anthropology, which was a topic that she explored in detail when she was a National Institute of Mental Health postdoctoral scholar with Family Research Consortium IV and Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers University. In particular, she is interested in the impact of acculturation on mental health, cross-cultural psychopathology, and socioeconomic status. Other areas of interest are phenotype, racial and ethnic identity, and women's issues in ethnic minority communities, which she seeks to understand within the tradition of liberation psychology.

Dr. López has received a number of awards for her teaching and research, including a faculty fellowship by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education and a High Flyer Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Missouri-Columbia. From 2008-2011, she served as a Task Force member of the American Psychology Association Committee on Socioeconomic Status. Additionally, in 2011 she was awarded an NIMH Early Career Investigator to attend the World Mental Health Congress of the World Federation for Mental Health in Cape Town, and was also chosen to be part of the inaugural American Psychological Association's Delegation to Cuba.

An avid photographer, Dr. López is married to Dr. Thomas Hawks, a poet who teaches creative writing. In 2010, both taught as part of the program Semester At Sea where they visited and lectured on various countries around the world (i.e., China, Japan, Viet Nam, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, and Brazil). They are the proud parents of Spencer and Sabina Hawks. You may read more information about her on: http://www.irenelopezphd.com/

Areas of Expertise

Cross-cultural psychopathology, ethnic identity, women's issues in ethnic minority communities, acculturation and mental health

Education

Ph.D. Kent State University
M.A. Kent State University
B.A. Vassar College

Selected Publications

* indicates Kenyon Student

Diemer, M.A., Mistry, R., Wadsworth, M.E., López, I. & Reimers, F. (2012). Best practices in conceptualizing and measuring social class in psychological research. Analyses of Social Issues & Public Policy. doi: 10.1111/asap.12001

López, I & *Ho., A. Culture-bound or culturally salient? Unbinding the culture-bound syndromes. In K. Keith (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Cross Cultural Psychology. Wiley Blackwell Publishers. (Accepted).

López, I. *Gonzalez, A., & *Ho, A. (2012). Skin color. T. F. Cash (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance. Vol 2. (pp. 730-737). San Diego: Academic Press.

López, I., Dent, T., Ecosto, E, & *Prado-Steiman, M. (2011). Theories of acculturation and cultural identity. In A. Zagelbaum & J. Carlson (Eds.). Working with Immigrant Families: A Practical Guide for Counselors. Routledge Press.

López, I., Ramirez, R., Guarnaccia, P., Canino, G., & Bird, H. Ataques de nervios and somatic complaints among Island and Mainland Puerto Rican children. (2011). CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-5949.2010.00137.x

Rivera, F., López, I., Ramirez, R., Guarnaccia, P., Canino, G., & Bird, H. A tale of two cities: Discrimination and antisocial behaviors in Puerto Rican children in two different contexts. (2010). Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. doi: 10.1007/s10903-010-9421-x

López, I., Rivera, F., Ramirez, R., Guarnaccia, P., Canino, G., & Bird, H. (2009). Ataques de nervios and their psychiatric correlates in Puerto Rican children from two different contexts.Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, iii-x, 12,923-929. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181c2997d

Courses Taught

PSYC 102 Introductory Psychology: Behavior in Context
PSYC 321 Abnormal Psychology
PSYC 327 Cross Cultural Psychology
PSYC 342 Clinical Psychology

PSYC 391 Latino Psychology
WGS 111 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies