Dr. Bernardo Ferdman Elected to Fellowship in APA Division Devoted to Study of Ethnic & Minority Issues

San Francisco – June 8, 2006 – Dr. Bernardo Ferdman, Professor in the Marshall Goldsmith School of Management (Organizational Psychology Division, San Diego), has been named a Fellow in the Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues, Division 45 of the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Ferdman, pictured below, received official notification of his election in May, 2006.

This distinction adds to previous honors: Dr. Ferdman is currently an APA Fellow and was elected in 2002 as a Fellow in APA Division 9, the Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues.

Dr. Ferdman’s career has focused on multiculturalism and diversity—including the dynamics of diversity and inclusion in organizations and society, the nature and implications of cultural and ethnic identity, interventions to improve intergroup relations, and the experience of Latinos and Latinas in organizations.

Dr. Ferdman’s scholarship, which has, in his words “been concerned with applying psychological theory and knowledge for the improvement of people’s lives and the betterment of society, particularly those outside of the dominant group,” has merited multiple awards. His 1992 chapter, “The dynamics of ethnic diversity in organizations,” was recognized with the Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize, one of the highest honors bestowed by the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) for a work of scholarship.

Dr. Ferdman’s writings have also contributed strongly to teaching about diversity. His 1990 article, “Literacy and cultural identity,” published in the Harvard Educational Review, was chosen for inclusion in a collection of articles (Minami & Kennedy, 1991) on language issues in literacy and bilingual/multicultural education, has been widely cited and is often used in course syllabi. Literacy across languages and cultures (Ferdman, Weber, & Ramirez, 1994), a book he edited, has been cited by many scholars and adopted in a variety of courses. Many of his other works have been used in teaching, and for training in organizations.

An expert on diversity and inclusion in organizations and on Latino issues in the workplace, Dr. Ferdman is often called to present to groups and conferences.  He has provided extensive professional service to the APA, to the Academy of Management, to the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and to the Interamerican Society of Psychology (SIP), which brings together psychologists from throughout the Americas; SIP is the only general psychological association that links North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean. Dr. Ferdman served as SIP’s President from 2001 to 2003.

Congratulations to Dr. Ferdman!

Link to Dr. Ferdman's faculty web page