Faculty Spotlight

"I am invested in helping future generations of psychologists expand the scope of the possibilities that exist for them."

Inspired by her parents' ministry outreach to those in need, Dr. Thema Bryant, assistant professor of psychology, entered the field to provide trauma survivors, women, minorities, and other groups alternative coping strategies such as exploring spirituality and the arts.

"I am primarily committed to uncovering and attending to the role of culture in the trauma recovery process," Bryant-Davis offered. "Secondly, I seek to both teach and build on the empirical knowledge base that equips people to move from victims to survivors and from surviving to thriving."

Bryant-Davis received her doctorate at Duke University and her post-doctorate at Harvard Medical Center. She chose to teach at Pepperdine University because she believes the school's mission is in line with her interest in "spiritual growth and emotional wholeness."

Bryant-Davis said, "I am invested in helping future generations of psychologists take an interdisciplinary approach as they expand the scope of the possibilities that exist for them as practitioners, researchers, policy shapers, social justice advocates, and global citizens."