Dr Deborah Husbands

I am a Chartered Psychologist and Reader in Race and Sociocultural Psychology. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS). Additionally, I serve as the Outreach Coordinator for the School of Social Sciences. 

I hold the position of Co-Chair of the University's Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee. I am also a founding member and Co-Chair of the University's BME Network, and I lead the Black History Year programme. 

I earned a BSc (Hons) Psychology degree at the University of Westminster in 2009, graduating with First-Class Honours. In 2012, I was awarded the Elizabeth de Lowernthal Prize for Excellence for the best portfolio submission on the PGCHE course. I completed a PhD in October 2019 in the area of Black and Minority Ethnic psychology student experiences in higher education, focusing on Black women and their constructions of identity and sense of belonging. 

My research focuses on the experiences of marginalised people. I use qualitative research methods such as qualitative content analysis, thematic analysis, and IPA, along with critical race theories to understand constructions of identity in higher education, ethnicity, race and the meaning we attach to experiences. By using a pluralistic framework, I gain richer insight into retention, satisfaction, progression and awarding for underrepresented students. 

I am a Co-Principal Investigator on a Centre for Education and Teaching Innovation (CETI) funded research project that explories the effect and experience of the impostor phenomenon on academic performance, academic satisfaction and sense of belonging in underrepresented student groups.

I work collaboratively with students and several universities on diverse projects to advance equity in higher education.

For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.