NEWS
Kaeli Johnson is a senior psychology and women's and gender studies double major and McNair Scholar. She said she was drawn to psychology because of her inquisitive nature.
“Since I was a little girl, I’ve always been interested in why people behave the way they do,” she said. “I knew I wanted to focus on mental health outcomes for marginalized communities because I have always been about civil rights and wanted to incorporate that, in some way, with what I did in life.”
While at OU, under the mentorship of Lara Mayeux, Johnson conducted research about honor culture and if these behaviors correlate with gender norms or are moderated by gender typicality.
“This experience allowed me to explore a topic not widely researched and make claims about the implications gendered behaviors have on society,” she said. “Specifically, we found that males engage in the idea of precarious manhood where boys are expected to exhibit manly behaviors but are often unsure of exactly what ‘manliness’ entails, meaning they are more likely to assert and defend their manhood through honored behaviors than a woman would for her womanhood.”
During the summer 2020, Johnson studied at the University of Delaware under Kimberly Isett, associate dean of research and director of the Master in Public Health in Health Policy and Management program. There, Johnson investigated health professional shortage areas throughout the United States and suggested questions to assess health care accessibility to Delaware’s Public Health Department.
“While the research is still an ongoing project, it was clear by the end of the summer research program that underserved populations deserve increased attention and that most states are missing the mark on accessible health care for disadvantaged populations,” she said.
Johnson said the ability to do this kind of research as an undergraduate pushed her to challenge herself.
“Now, I’m in love with research and am prepared for the graduate level,” she said. “I’ve had great research mentors thus far… The McNair Scholars Program, which helps underrepresented students prepare for graduate school, especially helped shape my passion to pursue research at the graduate level and beyond.”
She hopes to make an impact through her research to “dispel the long-lasting myths about Black women’s health and inform more patient-focused care for us.”
“Black women are one of the most marginalized groups and are often left out of the conversation on important health research that could save lives,” she said. “I want equity for black women, especially in health care.”
