Introducing New Graduate Student Mihael MacBeth

August 9, 2023 - Shelly DeJong

Name: Mihael MacBeth (they/them)

Hometown: Cartersville, Georgia

Undergrad: Georgia State University, Psychology (sociology minor), 2020

MSU Research Area: Ecological-Community Psychology

Tell us about your background!

I actually started out in neuropsychology – a big leap, I know! I worked in both neuropsychology and community psych labs in undergrad, and it gave me a lot of appreciation for different approaches both to research and to psychology as a discipline.

Why grad school?

Knowledge is a tool like any other. I’ve always been excited about learning – especially when it comes to things I’m passionate about, like psychology – but moreover I think grad school offers unique insight into the best ways to enact change using what we know.

What do you hope to research while you're here?

My research focus is transgender psychology, specifically as it pertains to resilience, mental health outcomes, and minority stress.

What do you love about Eco/Community Psychology?

What don’t I love! As a subfield, I think a lot of its magnetism comes from how it marries psychological frameworks to social justice. Looking holistically at mental health and identity in the context of culture, environment, sociopolitics, etc. is vital to extending the reach of research beyond academia.

In your free time, what do you like to do?

I’m really into fiction writing and reading! (Less useful than you’d hope when drafting manuscripts.) I also love baking and video games.