Courtney Meiling Jones (she/her) joined Kenyon in 2025. As a former liberal arts student, she is thrilled to be returning as a professor! Jones specializes in lifespan racial identity development, particularly among multiracial people, and how structures of power like white supremacy shape that development at societal and interpersonal levels. Her work also explores how multiracial people can develop racial identities which promote resistance to systematic oppression. While Jones specializes in multiracial identity, she is broadly excited to think about many facets of identity (e.g., gender, sexual orientation, race), how those facets intersect in people’s daily experiences, and how those identities are shaped by, and promote resistance to, societal systems of oppression. In addition to her content expertise, Jones is also deeply passionate about building a more inclusive and antiracist science, using qualitative methods (i.e., interviews) to center voices historically excluded from psychological research. 

Areas of Expertise

Multiracial identity development, critical multiracial theory, qualitative methods  

Education

2025 — Doctor of Philosophy from Northwestern University

2021 — Master of Arts from Northwestern University

2015 — Bachelor of Arts from Carleton College, magna cum laude

Courses Recently Taught

This course focuses on normal human development from conception through adolescence. Biological and social influences on development are considered with an emphasis on their interaction and the context in which they occur. Students will have the opportunity to participate in community engaged learning (CEL) in this course. This counts toward the person and society requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5. Generally offered every year.

In this course, students learn the basics of research in psychology. Students participate in research projects conducted across different areas of psychology, which might involve observation and interviewing, psychological tests and measures, physiological measures and computerized tasks. Students learn about issues of reliability and validity in psychological research, as well as ethical issues associated with psychological research. Students further develop techniques for descriptive statistical analysis of their data, and they communicate their research findings both orally and in writing, using the writing style of the American Psychological Association. This course is designed for sophomore and junior students planning to major in psychology. This counts toward the foundations requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5 and PSYC 200. Generally offered every semester.

For a long time, psychology has been taught with the assumption of universality and with content relevant primarily to a Western and white audience. Multicultural psychology has emerged as a way for the field to reckon with how individuals' unique social identities impact their worldviews and experiences. In this course focused on multicultural identities, students start by forming a strong understanding of different aspects of identity (e.g., race, social class, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, ability status, religion, body size, etc.) and forces that impact identity (stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, oppression, privilege, power). Following this, content focuses on understanding the psychological experiences within different social identities through readings on thoughts, feelings and behaviors of individuals belonging to specific identity groups. Readings primarily are drawn from the subfield of clinical/counseling psychology. The course celebrates recognizing and valuing our differences as a way to build solidarity in working toward social justice. As such, students are expected to consistently engage in self-reflection and application of the material to enacting social change in their daily lives. This counts toward the clinical issues and health requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 250. Generally offered every year.