By Madeline Wilkinson
Dr. Angel Armenta is an assistant professor and faculty advisor of the Psychology Student Association at the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology.
Psychology wasn't always Armenta's focus. As an undergraduate at California State University, Bakersfield, Armenta started as a nursing major, then switched to psychology, but quickly changed to business, followed by economics, computer science, biology and finally psychology again. Armenta said he views college as a time for students to explore their interests and identity and identify careers that fit their skill set.
His decision to focus on psychology came during a social psychology class taught by a professor who researched LGBTQ+ issues–a professor whom Armenta is still in contact with today. As a gay, Latino, Chicano man, Armenta connected with the subject matter, having experienced hostility within his community related to his sexuality. He said he lacked visibility or representation growing up and hopes his research can influence and inspire others in and outside of his community.
Armenta went on to earn his master's at California State University, Fullerton, followed by his Ph.D. in sociocultural psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Armenta's research examines how people respond to societal change, the individual differences that shape those responses, and what can reduce prejudice and discrimination.
He described his research as a tool for understanding why people behave certain ways, support specific policies or hold negative attitudes toward certain groups. Armenta hopes to create interventions that help people of various backgrounds coexist.
“It's timely and it's very applicable to what's happening around the world,” Armenta said.
Armenta applied to multiple professorships across the country but chose the University of Kentucky. He felt the psychology department genuinely cared not only about his growth as a scholar but him as a person.
"They cared genuinely and authentically about the issues I was studying and felt that there was significance and value in my research,” he said. He currently teaches courses ranging from statistical methods to social psychology seminars. Next year, he will teach a course on the psychology of good and evil.
Beyond the classroom, Armenta serves as faculty advisor for the Psychology Student Association (PSA), working with undergraduate students to build community and connect them with professional development resources. "Many undergraduate students want to strive for more, maybe even get their master's and Ph.D., but don't have the resources available to them,” he said. He has described watching students grow through PSA as one of the more rewarding parts of his role at UK.
Armenta is just one of the many inspiring and hard-working faculty in the psychology department at UK, tackling his duties both as a professor and researcher and as the faculty advisor for PSA. He said he hopes to inspire those like him in the academic field, spreading visibility and representation to prove that anyone, no matter their background, can achieve their goals.