Deep Poverty Initiative Working Group

Bullock’s research is aimed at the social psychological dimensions of economic injustice, specializing in poverty among women. She identifies the attitudes and beliefs that predict support for anti-poverty policies, and the impact of framing on policy preferences.

Her co-authored book with Bernice Lott, Psychology and Economic Injustice: Personal, Professional and Political Intersections, was recognized by the American Library Association and the Association for Women in Psychology.

Bullock’s has previously served as director of UCSC’s Center for Justice, Tolerance and Community, member of the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Chair of APA’s Committee on SES. Prior to UCSC, Bullock was an APA Congressional Fellow of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions – Democratic Office, working for Senator Edward M. Kennedy on policies related to poverty, welfare reform, food insecurity and early childhood education. Bullock received her PhD from the University of Rhode Island and BS from Allegheny College.

Destin directs a multidisciplinary lab group that investigates social psychological mechanisms underlying socioeconomic disparities in educational outcomes during adolescence and young adulthood. Destin studies factors influencing young people’s perceptions of themselves and their future pursuits. He further examines the consequences of social experiences and institutional environments for motivation, educational trajectories, and well-being of low socioeconomic status and first-generation college students.

Destin is a fellow of Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. He is also a recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology and the 2018 American Psychological Association Committee on Socioeconomic Status Emerging Leadership Award.

Destin received his PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan and BA in Psychology and Sociology at Northwestern University.

Mistry’s research examines the consequences of family socioeconomic resources and disadvantage on child development; children’s understanding of social status and social identity development; and, the implications of school-level socioeconomic diversity on teaching, learning and child development.

Mistry is the recipient of the Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and is a former chair of the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Socioeconomic Status. Her co-edited book, "Societal Contexts of Child Development", received the Social Policy Award for Best Edited Book from the Society for Research on Adolescence.

She is an elected member of the Society for Research in Child Development’s Governing Council and a Fellow of the Association of Psychological Science. Prior to University of California, Los Angeles, she was an assistant professor at Claremont Graduate University.

Mistry received her PhD in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin, postdoctoral training at the Center for Developmental Science, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and her BA and MA in Psychology from San Jose State University.

Williams' teaching and research interest centers on stigma and prejudice, specifically around issues of social class. This includes examining the lived experiences of low-income and working-class Americans and evaluating the personal and political consequences of how low-income people are perceived.

Williams recently received an Appalachian College Association Faculty Fellowship to examine historical roots of movements for economic justice in Appalachia and to engage Appalachian youth in exploring strengths and weakness of their communities using Participatory Action Research. She was also a recent Visiting Fellow of St. Catherine’s College-Oxford University where she focused on examining class-based intergroup conflict. Williams has previously served American Psychological Association in several capacities, including as president of Div. 9 (the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues), chair of the Committee on Socioeconomic Status, and Div. 9 representative to the Council of Representatives. She is currently the chair of the Presidential Deep Poverty Initiative Workgroup.

Williams received her PhD in social psychology from the University of California-Santa Cruz, MS in social psychology from the University of Florida, and her BA in psychology (with honors) from Swarthmore College.