Brendesha Tynes named a 2023 American Psychological Association Fellow

Brendesha Tynes, Dean’s Professor of Educational Equity and Professor of Education and Psychology at USC Rossier, was named a 2023 American Psychological Association (APA) Fellow.

APA Fellows display exceptional and outstanding contributions to psychology. Their work must have a national impact beyond a local, state or regional level. This distinction is considered the top of its kind in the field of psychology.

Background: Brendesha Tynes has dedicated her life to studying the ways rapidly changing technology can exacerbate racial inequities. Her research has received over 4,300 academic citations and focuses on youth experiences with digital media and how those experiences are associated with academic and socio-emotional outcomes. She is also the director of USC Rossier’s Center for Empowered Learning and Development with Technology (CELDTECH), a transdisciplinary research center that promotes equity in digital learning and development in formal and informal contexts, with a particular focus on young people of color.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized for my research on the nature and impacts of learning and development in online spaces. Though technology often exacerbates racial inequities, adolescents of color have cultural resources that can serve as buffers against outcomes typically associated with negative experiences like online racism. I see becoming a 2023 APA Fellow as a call to continue this work and extend it by creating digital tools that help young people to thrive both on and offline,” said Tynes.

“Brendesha’s selection as a 2023 APA Fellow confirmed what everyone throughout the USC Rossier and psychological research community already knew: she is one of the most impactful and influential researchers in her field throughout the entire nation. Her work helps students, parents and teachers recognize the pitfalls posed by the rapid advancement of digital technology and promotes digital equity in the classroom and beyond. USC Rossier congratulates Brendesha Tynes on this well-deserved honor,” said USC Rossier Dean Pedro Noguera.

Additional information about the American Psychological Association Fellows can be found here.