About Me

Bio

Rihana S. Mason received her PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. She is a highly accomplished cognitive Psychologist with 20+ years of social science research experience, including a decade of program evaluation. As a Research Scientist at Georgia State University’s Urban Child Study Center, she leads interdisciplinary teams in grant-funded initiatives (Department of Education, National Science Foundation, Institute of Museuem and Library Services, United Way, Callaway Foundation, etc.), fostering critical partnerships between academia and community. My expertise spans language & literacy, STEM interventions, and the history of female scientists.

She is a proven leader in academic and non-profit sectors with extensive board service (Society of Senior Ford Fellows, Stem News Chronicle Advisory Board, Psi Chi Diversity Advisory Committee, Ready Now Foundation, Diadem International, & For My Daughters’ Sake). She is also the Past President of the Southeastern Psychological Association and Chair of the Committee for Equality and Professional Opportunity (CEPO).

She co-developed the practical RAIN approach for assessing family, student, and community needs, and has co-authored several highly regarded books that contribute to diversifying the academic pathways and highlighting underrepresented voices in psychology. As co-founder of the Academic Pipeline Project and Advancing Herstory, she is committed to leveraging my expertise to lead dynamic research centers or academic non-profits, shaping impactful solutions and strategic partnerships.

Her commitment to diversifying the scientific workforce is illustrated by her participation on an editorial team for two textbooks, Early Psychological Research Contributions from Women of Color, Volumes 1 & 2 (2023 and 2024, Routledge). She is a co-author of two books, Academic Pipeline Programs: Diversifying Pathways from the Bachelors to the Professoriate (2021, Lever Press) and Thinking Critically About Your Career in Psychology. She is Past President of the Southeastern Psychological Association. She is also a member of the Psi Chi Diversity Advisory Committee. She served as the chair for the Committee for the Equality of Professional Opportunity under the Southeastern Psychological Association.

Prior to joining the UCSC, Dr. Mason served as an Associate Professor in Psychology at Emmanuel College for several years where she helped to expand the undergraduate curriculum. The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program at Georgia State University awarded her a Faculty Appreciation Award in 2008.

As an undergraduate at Spelman, she participated in the National Institutes of Mental Health Careers and Opportunities in Undergraduate Research Training Program (NIMH-COR) and was later named a NIMH-COR star in 2007. She is a recipient of the Predoctoral Ford Fellowship (2000) administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on behalf of the Ford Foundation and actively participates in the meeting of the Senior Ford Fellows.

She enjoys spending time as a basketball wife, mother, and mentor for students.