Katiera Dickinson

Katiera Dickinson is a junior at the Macaulay Honors College at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she is majoring in Forensic Psychology, minoring in Africana Studies, and obtaining a certificate in Dispute Resolution. Early in her college career, an Interdisciplinary Studies class focusing on stereotypes in the U.S., spurred her interest in exploring social issues, specifically within the Black community. Her research interests include race-based traumatic stress, racial socialization, and Black identity. Her current research project focuses on the relationship between race-based traumatic stress and academic success, and investigating the role of racial socialization as a moderator. The most interesting process of this research project for Katiera has been immersing herself in previous literature, and envisioning how her research would contribute to the knowledge of these issues. She is currently conducting her research under the guidance of Dr. Veronica Johnson. Katiera also enjoys trying new things, especially by exploring different cuisines, travelling and other activities. On the weekends, Katiera also enjoys watching Netflix, painting, and taking care of her goldfish, Jeremy.

I have been a member of the TEDxCUNY team since 2019, and with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and time moving faster than usual, our senior team members eventually graduated and pursued their respective career goals. At this time, I was appointed leader and I knew that the tradition of TEDxCUNY had to remain alive. I had learned a multitude of lessons from our senior team members and their passion for TED and TEDxCUNY, which has inevitably been passed on to me. I would like to continue to be a part of and lead TEDxCUNY because of its importance to our community.