New Faculty Profiles

Judy Ho

Assistant professor, Graduate School of Education and Psychology

"I believe that the learning environment should be a dynamic, collaborative community," says Judy Ho, who served for two years on the Board of Directors and in the Executive Committee for the National Postdoctoral Association, and on the Postdoctorate Leadership Committee for the American Academy of Medical Colleges GREAT group, as an advocate for postdoctorate students.

Ho's vision of the dynamic, collaborative learning environment for all includes those doing the teaching, which she calls a great passion of hers. "It is continually challenging, always exciting, and personally rewarding," she says. "I approach the art of teaching as a never-ceasing process, continually pursuing better ways to engage students and disseminate knowledge."

Ho earned a double major in psychology and business administration from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2001, before pursuing her master's in psychology and PhD in San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. She has been published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health and Health Care, and Behavioral Disorders.

We ask: What would you change about modern psychology, and how it is perceived?
I feel that there is still a lot of stigma attached to the idea of receiving mental health care, and misconceptions about mental health disorders. I hope that with further research, clinical work, and public outreach, we can help the general population to understand that psychological illnesses can be just as debilitating as physical disorders, and that treatment is necessary for recovery, just like for physical illnesses.