Jacqueline S. Mattis, PhD

Jacqueline S. Mattis, PhD is Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University-Newark. She earned her B.A. in psychology from New York University, and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of African American and Afri-Caribbean youth and adults, and on the factors that are associated with positive psychological and psychosocial development of urban-residing African American and Afri-Caribbean youth and adults. In particular, she explores the factors that contribute to volunteerism, civic engagement, altruism, compassion, empathy, forgiveness, optimism, and positive parenting among urban-residing African American and Afri-diasporic people. She has co-authored 2 books, and numerous articles and has served on the editorial boards of numerous journals. She has received numerous awards and honors including the Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Association of Black Psychologists (2014); NYU’s Martin Luther King Jr. Award (2011) for teaching excellence, leadership, social justice and community building; the University of Michigan’s Outstanding Mentor Award from the Undergraduate Research Opportunities program (2019), and the 2020 Paul M. Fitts Graduate Mentor Award. She serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Clara Maass Hospital in New Jersey.