Psychologist Dr. Jacquelyn White, who is retiring from UNCG after 41 years of service, will be heading to Washington, D.C., for work with the U.S. Congress through a fellowship from the American Psychological Association.
White has been awarded the prestigious Catherine Acuff Congressional Fellowship, which gives psychologists an opportunity to work in congressional offices or committees. The public policy learning experience is invaluable, and its aim is to bring about more effective use of psychological knowledge within the federal government.
Acuff Fellows spend one year working on the staff of a member of Congress or a congressional committee. Activities may involve drafting legislation, conducting oversight work, assisting with congressional hearings and events, and preparing briefs and speeches. Fellows also attend a two-week orientation program and participate in a year-long seminar series on science and public policy issues.
Assignments to a congressional office will occur in late September. White said she is hoping for a match that will allow her to build on her past research, which has focused on gender issues, aggression and intimate partner violence for over 35 years. She conducted one of the few longitudinal studies of sexual and physical dating violence among adolescents and college students, a five-year projected funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health and NIJ.
White says that what has distinguished her from many academics is a history of seeking out experiences to collaborate and share knowledge beyond scientific journals and conference presentations. In the past several years her career has moved increasingly towards advocacy. The congressional fellowship is the logical next step.
“I now have had enough experiences connecting me to the community and to policy-makers to understand the critical importance of taking our science to ‘the hill,’” she said. “I think that scholars such as myself with an established research record have a responsibility to take our work forward. This is something I want to do. I am eager to share what I know and to learn more. I see the remainder of my career focused on advocacy. If I can make a difference, even in a small way, I want to.”
This will be White’s third visit to Washington in an official capacity. In December 2010, she was one of four academic researchers invited to participate in a White House roundtable of teen dating violence and sexual assault, hosted by Lynn Rosenthal, the White House advisor on violence. White also attended the 17th anniversary celebration of the Violence against Women Act, hosted by Vice-President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden at their home in the nation’s capital. She also worked with N.C. Sen. Kay Hagan, her staff and the APA Governmental Relations Office to Garner support for the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
In her research, White is particularly interested in sorting out predictors and consequences of sexual and physical assault, with a particular focus on various mental health problems and substance use. Her approach suggests that adolescent dating violence should be considered within the context of adolescent friendships and romantic relationships, as well as family and other social institutions that shape a young person’s sense of self.
White has been a consultant on a project with the U.S. Navy examining the impact of pre-military experiences with physical and sexual abuse on military experiences. She is a past editor of Psychology of Women Quarterly and served on the editorial board for Aggressive Behavior. She is co-editor of the two-volume series being published by the APA, “Violence against women and children: Consensus, critical analyses, and emergent priorities.”
White is retiring from UNCG as a professor of psychology and associate dean for research in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a former director of Women’s Studies at UNCG, is a past president of the Southeastern Psychological Association, past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women, and the 2008 recipient of the Carolyn Wood Sherif Award and 2010 American Psychological Association’s Committee on Women’s Leadership Award. She also received the 2011 Sue Rosenberg Zalk Award for distinguished leadership from the Society for the Psychology of Women.
The Acuff Fellowship was established by APA in 2000 to honor the memory of Catherine Acuff and her many contributions to the field of psychology and to those it serves. Applicants for this Fellowship must have five or more years of experience post-doctorate. A dedicated psychologist, advocate and humanitarian, Acuff was a member of the APA Board of Directors when she died on April 21, 2000, at age 51. At the time of her death, Acuff was the director of the HIV/AIDS Treatment Adherence, Health Outcomes, and Associated Costs Program for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.