Professor
Contact Information:
Email: bediako@umbc.edu
Office: Math/Psychology 306
Phone: 410.455.2349
Fax: 410.455.1055
Lab: Sondheim 412
Phone: 410.455.1359
Education:
Ph.D. – Stony Brook University, 2002
Area of Study:
Behavioral Medicine/Community Psychology
Research Interests:
Dr. Bediako’s research is broadly concerned with health-related implications of stigma. Current projects use intensive longitudinal methods (e.g., daily diaries) to track interpersonal, intrapersonal, and environmental factors that cause fluctuations in stigma. We also explore sociocultural aspects of variability in stigma by emphasizing the roles of racial identity, spirituality, and communalism.
Courses Taught:
Social Psychology (PSYC 340)
History and Systems of Psychology (PSYC 405)
Social/Health Psychology (PSYC 441)
Graduate Research and Training Opportunities:
NO: Not Accepting graduate students for Fall 2021
Students with particular interests in community health promotion and applied psychology in health settings are especially encouraged to apply. My goal in working with graduate students is to prepare them for jobs in academic or applied research settings. I hold individual meetings with graduate students on a biweekly basis or as needed. Graduate students are encouraged to become involved in ongoing projects and to take advantage of publication opportunities from existing data sets. Students are also encouraged to initiate independent studies in addition to thesis and dissertation requirements. Students working with me will receive training in grant writing and will be encouraged to apply for external fellowships from the NIH, APA, Ford Foundation, and other relevant sources by the end of their second year. My intent is to prepare graduate students to be competitive for academic jobs, to have a strong record of published scholarship, and to demonstrate the requisite skills of a successful and productive scholar.
Undergraduate Research and Training Opportunities:
YES: Undergraduate opportunities available
Interested students should contact Dr. Bediako directly via email.
Graduate Program Affiliation(s):
Human Services Psychology
Leadership roles in the Department/College/University:
Chair, UMBC Research and Creative Achievement Council
Facilitator, Collaborative for the Interdisciplinary Promotion of Health Equity Research (CIPHER)
Selected Publications:
Ogunsile, J., Bediako, S. M., Nelson, J. Cichowitz, C., Yu, T., Carroll, C. P., Stewart, K. J., Naik, R., Haywood Jr., C., and Lanzkron, S. (2019). Metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk in sickle cell disease. Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases, 74, 25-29.
Holloway, B. M., McGill, L. S., and Bediako, S. M. (2017). Depressive symptoms and sickle cell disease pain: The moderating role of internalized stigma. Stigma and Health, 2, 271-280.
Bediako, S. M., & Harris, C. (2017). Communalism moderates the association between racial centrality and emergency department utilization for sickle cell disease pain. Journal of Black Psychology, 43, 659-668.
Bediako, S. M., and King-Meadows, T. (2016). Public support for sickle-cell disease funding: Does race matter? Race and Social Problems, 8, 186-195.