Asia McCleary-Gaddy

Asia T. McCleary-Gaddy, PhD, assumed her role as the School of Medicine's Director of Diversity and Equity in March 2018. Dr. McCleary-Gaddy received her BA in Psychology at Rice University in Houston, TX, where she graduated with distinction in research and creative works.

She earned her Master's Degree and Ph.D. in Experimental Social Psychology from the University of Vermont. During her tenure there, Dr. McCleary-Gaddy examined the role of ethnicity in admission decisions, and has worked with the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at the Larner College of Medicine to implement evidence-based interventions for culturally competent practice. Dr. McCleary-Gaddy was also the recipient of an NIH Diversity Supplement for Health-Related Research where she investigated the psychological, physiological, and behavioral effects of weight stigma in the workplace.

Education

• Ph.D., University of Vermont
• M.A., University of Vermont
• B.A., Rice University

Scholarship

Peer-Reviewed Publications

• McCleary-Gaddy, A. T., & Scales, R. (2019). Addressing Mental Illness Stigma, Implicit Bias, and Stereotypes in Medical School. Academic Psychiatry, 1-4.
• McCleary-Gaddy, A. (2019). Be explicit: Defining the difference between the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and the Office of Diversity & Equity. Medical teacher, 1-2.
• McCleary-Gaddy, A. T., & Miller, C. T. (2018). Preference for Second-Generation African Immigrants Over Native-Born Black Americans: A College Admission Simulation. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 40(1), 6-17.
• McCleary-Gaddy, A. T., Miller, C. T., Grover, K. W., Hodge, J. J., & Major, B. (2018). Weight Stigma and Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenocortical Axis Reactivity in Individuals Who Are Overweight. Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
• McCleary-Gaddy, A. T., & Miller, C. T. (2018). Negative religious coping as a mediator between perceived prejudice and psychological distress among African Americans: A structural equation modeling approach. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. Advance online publication.

Accomplishments

• Association of American Medical Colleges Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate
• Mellon Mays Fellow
• Rice University Distinction in Research and Creative Work