Assistant professor of psychology Erlanger Turner is among three awardees of the 2014 ProDIGs grant. Administered by the American Psychological Association (APA), ProDIGs stands for Promoting Psychological Research and Training on Health Disparities Issues at Ethnic Minority-Serving Institutions. The project offers small grants and a mentorship program in collaboration with the APA Minority Fellowship Program (MFP).

"It is great to be awarded this grant to allow me to complete my research on health disparities and to mentor students who are interested in careers in psychology," Turner said.

Turner's research and clinical interests include access to behavioral health services, cultural


competency, behavioral parent training, mental health disparities and disruptive behavioral disorders. His research specialties include child mental health, parenting practices, minority mental health, access to behavioral health services and child psychopathology. As an early career psychologist, he strives to use his clinical and research skills to continue on a path towards a career as an independent scholar. His current research project is entitled "Predictors of Intentions to Seek Psychotherapy among African American Parents."

Turner and his fellow awardees attended a mandatory seven-day professional development institute last summer, during which they had their concept papers critiqued, discussed major trends in health disparities research, and networked with federal funding program directors and research institute staff. Additionally, awardees learned more about grant writing, multicultural competence, publishing, presentation skills, advanced qualitative and quantitative research methods, program evaluation and funding opportunities. It is expected that awardees will submit a funding application to a federal agency or private foundation within 24 months after award of their ProDIGs grant funding.