Vicki M. Mays, PhD, was born and raised in the southside of Chicago. Mays emerged from the generation of Black psychologists who were strongly influenced by the Civil Rights Movement. Toward the end of her undergraduate career and as a member of the National Black Student Psychological Association (NBSPA), she attended a historic meeting in 1969 between NBSPA, Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) and APA, that challenged the APA to increase the admission and retention of Black students and provide ethical research on Black populations. She then went on to begin graduate studies at Loyola University.
Although she earned her PhD in clinical psychology from Loyola University, Mays is a well-rounded professional in a variety of health fields, having obtained a Master of Science in Public Health, post baccalaureate coursework in epidemiology, and decades of experience focusing on HIV/AIDs work. She began her tenure at UCLA in 1979 and later founded the Bridging Research, Innovation and Training Center there. The center is dedicated to eliminating health disparities in ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community, who are often marginalized when it comes to research. Her work deals with race related stress, and access to and availability of health services. In addition, Mays has had noteworthy administrative appointments on campus. As vice chair of the Academic Senate at UCLA, she oversaw 22 committees, including some pertaining to increasing enrollment of ethnic minorities, culturally competent research and faculty welfare.
Her commitment to public policy is backed by several testimonies to many Congressional committees utilizing her HIV, mental health and health disparities research. She served a term as the chair of one of Congress’ Subcommittee’s the National Committee on Vital Health Statistics. Some of May’s awards include: the APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research and Public Policy, APA’s Women in Psychology Leadership Award, and the American Foundation for AIDS Research Award.