# Aida Hurtado

Aida Hurtado (born May 9, 1950) is a Mexican-American psychologist who has worked to promote the inclusion of women of color in the field of psychology. Her research has specifically focused on the psychological aspects of gender, race, and ethnicity, and intersectionality. In particular, Hurtado has been a pioneer in the development of feminist psychology. She has received two awards from the American Psychological Association: the Distinguished Contributions to Psychology Award in 2015 and the Presidential Citation in 2018.

## Early life

Hurtado was born in Mexico. When she was four years old, Hurtado's family moved to California's Central Valley to work as migrant farm laborers.

## Education

Growing up, Hurtado experienced discrimination and marginalization because of her race and socioeconomic status. Despite these challenges, she was an excellent student and was encouraged by her teachers to pursue higher education. She attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1972.
Hurtado began her professional career in 1975, when she received her BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She then went on to receive her MA in psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1977 and her PhD in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1982.
After graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Hurtado went on to earn a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Michigan. Her early research focused on issues related to racial and ethnic identity, stereotypes, and prejudice. She has since become a leading scholar in the areas of intersectionality and the experiences of women of color.

## Career

In 1983, Hurtado began teaching at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she has remained until the present day. From 1983 until 1995, she was an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the university, and she was promoted to full professor in 1995. During her tenure, Hurtado has served as the director of the Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research, the associate dean of the Social Sciences Division, and the associate dean of the Graduate Division.
Hurtado has published extensively on the topics of feminism, race, and gender, and her work has been featured in numerous books and journals. Her work has also been cited in hundreds of scholarly articles. She has also been featured in numerous documentaries and interviews.
In addition to her work as a scholar, Hurtado has also been a major advocate for increased diversity in the field of psychology and has worked to bridge the gap between psychology and social work.
Today, Hurtado continues to be a major figure in the field of psychology and a major advocate for increased diversity in the field. Her work has greatly contributed to the understanding of the psychological aspects of gender, race, and ethnicity, and her research and advocacy.

## Awards

Hurtado's significant contributions to the field of feminist psychology have been recognized through various awards. She contributed to the development of intersectionality. This theory has been widely used by researchers from many different disciplines to gain a better understanding of the unique experiences of people of color. Hurtado has also been recognized for her work on educational attainment and success. She was awarded the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Contributions to Psychology Award in 2015 and the Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association in 2018.

### Publications

* Hurtado, A. (1982). The development of feminist psychology. In J. H. Stanfield & R. M. Dennis (Eds.), People of color in the United States: Contemporary Issues in Education, Work, Communities, Health, and Immigration (pp. 57–76). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
* Hurtado, A., & Yee, A. (1992). Educational attainment, success, and the role of race and gender. In J. H. Stanfield & R. M. Dennis (Eds.), People of color in the United States: Contemporary Issues in Education, Work, Communities, Health, and Immigration (pp. 57–76). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
* Hurtado, A. (2015). American Psychological Association Distinguished Contributions to Psychology Award. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/awards/2015/distinguished-contributions-psychology.aspx