We are a collaborative team of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff passionate about promoting learning, celebrating diversity, and strengthening inclusion. We organize educational opportunities and community-building events throughout the year, including initiatives aligned with Black History Month, Pride, National Indigenous History Month, and more. We also host training sessions, watch parties, and visiting-speaker events that raise awareness, foster meaningful dialogue, and build connection. Enthusiasm, ideas, and lived experiences are always welcome.
Are you interested?
To get involved, please indicate your interest in this subgroup when you complete the Join EDI form.
Past Events
September 30th, 2025
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Walk-Over
Members of the EDI working group organized a walk-over to attend the events hosted by the Office of Indigenous Relations for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
June 24, 2025
Pride-Themed Trivia Event
In honour of Pride Month, Psych EDI hosted a Pride-themed trivia event for members of the psych department.
April 11, 2025
Student Q&A with Dr. Jiaying Zhao
Colloquium speaker Dr. Jiaying Zhao joined us for a student Q&A session to answer questions about her research and career journey. Dr. Jiaying Zhao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. She blends psychology and climate change in designing behavioural initiatives for financial and sustainability challenges.
March 21, 2025
Getting Involved in Research Student Panel
February 26, 2025
Black History Month Lunch n' Learn: Decolonizing Psychology
In honour of Black History Month, members of the psych department gathered to view and discuss the online TED talk by Dr. Thema Bryant entitled "Why We Need to Decolonize Psychology".
January 25, 2025
Practical Accessibility & Inclusivity Strategies for Research Dissemination
Dr. Erin Maloney, a researcher from the University of Ottawa, and her PhD student, Fraulein Retanal, hosted a presentation focusing on low-cost and easy-to-implement strategies to enhance accessibility and inclusivity when sharing research and collecting data.
November 29, 2024
Student Q&A with Dr. Sonia Kang
Colloquium speaker Dr. Sonia Kang joined us for a student Q&A session to answer questions about her research and career journey. Dr. Sonia Kang is professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management at the University of Toronto. Her research explores the challenges and opportunities of identity, diversity, and inclusion.
November 1, 2024
Student Q&A with Dr. Ashleigh Rosette
Colloquium speaker Dr. Ashleigh Rosette joined us for a student Q&A session to answer questions about her research and career journey. Dr. Ashleigh Rosette is an international researcher who's renowned for her research on leadership, negotiations, and diversity with a particular focus on women leaders and topics related to race, gender, and intersectional stereotyping.
October 8, 2024
Personal Statement Workshop
September 27, 2024
Grad School Info Session
In collaboration with the undergraduate and graduate chairs, followed by a social event hosted by PsychSoc.
July 17, 2024
Hosting Soup and Bannock Lunch at Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre (WISC)
In honour of National Indigenous History Month, Psych EDI arranged for representatives from the department to host and prepare food for a Soup and Bannock lunch, which are organized by the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre.
June 27, 2024
Pride Movie Night
A night for psychology graduate students and post-docs to celebrate Pride month in the community. Attendees were invited to Grad House to play some board games together before our outdoor movie night began. We showed the movie, Pride (2014), in the PAS courtyard and popcorn and drinks were provided.
June 6, 2024
Equity-minded Mentorship Workshop
Hosted by Dr. Annie Wofford, a researcher from Florida State University.
March 20, 2024
Getting Involved in Research Information Panel
In collaboration with the Peer Mentorship Program.
November 8, 2023
Personal Statement Workshop
October 20, 2023
Grad School Info Session
In collaboration with the undergraduate and graduate chairs, followed by a social event hosted by PsychSoc.
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Graduate Student Support Group
July 5, 2023
Graduate Student Support Group
April 26, 2023
Faculty Gender Inclusion Workshop
March 21, 2023
Student Support Group
February 28, 2023
Black Excellence in Psychology
October 1, 2022
Personal Statement Workshop
Virtual personal statement workshop hosted by Dr. Abigail Scholer and Sarah English.
September 23, 2022
Student session with Dr. Mesmin Destin
Dr. Destin met with students over pizza lunch in the PAS lounge. He talked about his career path followed by an open Q&A. Dr. Destin is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University.
February 11, 2022
Student session with Dr. Sylvia Perry
Dr. Perry shared remarks on her time as a student and her career path followed by a moderated Q&A with questions submitted in advance. Dr. Perry is an Associate Professor of Social Psychology and is the Principal Investigator of the Social Cognition and Intergroup Processes (SCIP) Lab at Northwestern University.
December 3, 2021
Student session with Dr. Stephanie Fryberg
Dr. Fryberg shared remarks on her time as a student and her career path followed by a moderated Q&A with questions submitted in advance. She is a member of the Tulalip tribe whose research and teaching includes the impact of Native American mascots on Native American children’s self-identity, testifying before the U.S. Senate on Stolen Identities: The impact of racist stereotypes on Indigenous people and working with students in the Naskapi community of Kawawachikamach in Quebec. Dr. Fryberg is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan.
October 25 and October 29, 2021
Tristan Fassel, MSW (they/them), a community and program developer for a developmental services organization in the Waterloo region, presented a two-part virtual workshop on the topic of engaging with EDI-related content as a graduate student. The first part of this workshop focused on providing graduate students with the information and emotional skills they need to engage with challenging EDI material. Part two focused on the actions that graduate students can take to support equity in their professional lives, with reference to issues faced by members of LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse groups. In these sessions, Tristan also incorporated information about the history of psychology, including highlighting historical instances of inequality within the field.
Past Initiatives
May 2025
Mental Health Awareness Month Infographic
Created an infographic to raise awareness of mental health services available to UW students, highlighting specialized services for queer and racialized students
February 2025
Black History Month Researcher of the Week Poster Series
Created posters to showcase the contributions of Black researchers in psychology, featuring a different researcher each week for Black History Month
September 2024
Gender Equality Week Infographic
Created an infographic to highlight the importance of Gender Equality Week, noting relevant events and services on campus