Doane University is pleased to announce Dr. Thema Bryant as the guest speaker for the 10th annual Robert L. Polk Lecture on Race & Social Justice.
This year’s lecture is Wednesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. in Heckman Auditorium on the Crete campus.
Bryant is a psychologist, author, professor, sacred artist and minister who is leading the way in creating healthy relationships, healing traumas and overcoming stress and oppression. She has raised public awareness regarding mental health by extending the reach of psychology beyond academia and private therapy through community programming and media engagement, including: CNN, CBS, NPR, The Washington Post, The LA Times, “Good Morning America,” TEDx Talks, HuffPost and “The Oprah Podcast.”
Bryant earned her doctorate in clincial psychology from Duke University and completed her post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical Center’s Victims of Violence Program. After her studies she became the coordinator of the Princeton University SHARE Program, which provides intervention and prevention programming to combat sexual assault, sexual harrassment and harassment based on sexual orientation.
Currently, Bryant is a tenured professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, where she directs the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory.
In February 2025 she released her book, “Matters of the Heart.” In it, she aims to empower readers to connect with themselves and others, delving into topics such as: control issues, emotional unavailability, practical activation activities, case studies and how to shift mindset and patterns around romance.
Bryant is also an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and leads the mental health ministry at First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles. She was the 2023 president of the American Psychological Association and hosts The Homecoming Podcast.
About Polk Lectureship Series
The Robert L. Polk Lecture on Race and Social Justice was established in 2016 to bring high quality, high-impact speakers to Doane in the fields of diversity, equity and social justice. The goal of the lecture is to provide an avenue by which important discussions surrounding race, racial healing and racial equity can be established and sustained.
Rev. Dr. Robert L. Polk graduated from Doane College in 1952 as its first Black graduate. He has spent his life and career as a minister building bridges and challenging the barriers between races and cultures.
