Dr. Courtney Bonam

Dr. Courtney Bonam is an Associate Professor in Psychology (Social Psychology) at the University of California Santa Cruz. Previously, she was a professor in Black Studies and Psychology at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Prior to becoming a faculty member, Dr. Bonam completed a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California Berkeley. Trained as a social psychologist, her research focuses on stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination; environmental justice; racial disparities in access to high quality physical space; as well as the experiences and perceptions of multiracial people. Dr. Bonam is a graduate of Stanford University. During her time there, she published research focusing on multiracial individuals' views of race as a social construct, as well as how this view can afford them resilience in potentially challenging social situations. 

Courtney's current work uses varied methods (e.g., experiments, surveys, quantitative and qualitative analysis) and participant populations to reveal space-focused stereotypes about Black Americans. These stereotypes reflect a tight association between Black Americans and degraded physical space (i.e. boarded up houses, dilapidated street corners). This work provides evidence that individuals are more likely to regard the same physical space as lower quality when it is occupied by Black (vs. White) people. Individuals may then treat Black physical space accordingly, for example, by being more willing to place a chemical plant in a majority Black (vs. White) neighborhood. Space-focused stereotyping may therefore play a significant role in shaping a community's quality of life. Dr. Bonam investigates this process and its potential role in perpetuating racial disparities in exposure to pollution, health, wealth, and access to educational resources. 

Dr. Bonam has been the recipient of the Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, Stanford University's Diversifying Academia Recruiting Excellence Fellowship for advanced PhD candidates, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Grants-In-Aid research award, as well as the American Psychological Association Dissertation research award. She also received the Stanford University Lyman Award for University Service, highlighting her efforts to enhance graduate and faculty diversity while at Stanford. 

[Dr. Bonam's CV & publication links coming soon]