Brigida Hernandez, Ph.D.
DePaul University
Psychology Department
2219 N. Kenmore Ave. - Byrne 563
Chicago, IL 60614
(Office) 773-325-4840
(Fax) 773-325-7888
bhernan4@depaul.edu

EDUCATION:

PhD Northwestern University Medical School, Clinical Psychology - Child Track
December 1999

MA State University of New York (Plattsburgh), Applied Clinical Psychology
May 1992

BA Rutgers University, Psychology
May 1989

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS:

Assistant Professor
DePaul University, Department of Psychology
July 2002 - present

Research Assistant Professor
University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Disability and Human Development
September 2001 - present

Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Disability and Human Development
August 1999 - August 2001

GRANTS and CONTRACTS:

Principal Investigator - Disability Determination and Provision of Vocational Rehabilitation Services: How Good are the Tools that are Used?
Project funding period: November 2004 - December 2009
Total funding: $100,000 ($20,000 per year)
Five-year subcontract through the Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago, which is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (US Department of Education). The purpose of this project is to examine and address the appropriateness of psychological tests when assessing people with disabilities of ethnic minority background.

Principal Investigator - Hiring People with Disabilities: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
Project funding period: September 2004 - August 2006
Total funding: $116,600
Two-year grant funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunities to examine the costs and benefits associated with hiring people with disabilities.

Principal Investigator - Let’s Roll: Understanding and Responding to the Needs of People with Disabilities and the Ticket to Work Program
Project funding period: October 2003 - September 2006
Total funding: $450,000 ($150,000 per year)
Three-year grant funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (US Department of Education) to examine and address the vocational rehabilitation needs of working-age adults with disabilities.

Principal Investigator - Back to Basics: Understanding the Vocational Rehabilitation and
Ticket to Work Needs of Latinos with Disabilities
Project funding period: August 2003 - July 2004
Total funding: $25,000
One-year grant funded by the Disability Research Institute (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne) to examine the vocational rehabilitation needs of Latino adults with disabilities.

Principal Investigator - No Voice in the Chorus, No Seat at the Table: Perspectives of Young Men of Color on their Disabilities, Identities, and Peer-Mentors
Project funding period: September 2001 - August 2002
Total funding: $45,000
One-year research Switzer fellowship funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (US Department of Education) to examine the identity of ethnic minority men with spinal cord injuries as a result of gunshot trauma.

SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS:

Refereed Publications:

Hernandez, B. (2005). A voice in the chorus: Perspectives of young men of color on their disabilities, identities, and peer-mentors. Disability and Society, 20, 117-133.

Hernandez, B., Keys, C., & Balcazar, F. (2004). Disability rights: Attitudes of private and public sector representatives. Journal of Rehabilitation, 70, 28-37.

Hernandez, B., Keys, C., & Balcazar, F. (2003). The Americans with Disabilities Act Knowledge Survey: Strong psychometrics and weak knowledge. Rehabilitation Psychology, 48, 93-99.

Balcazar, F. E., & Hernandez, B. (2002).  Violencia y discapacidad: Un modelo de intervención basado en la investigación-acción participativa.  Intervención Psicosocial, 11, 183-199.

Hernandez, B., Hayes, E.A., Balcazar, F.E., & Keys, C.B. (2001). Responding to the needs of the underserved: A peer-mentor approach. SCI Psychosocial Process, 14, 142-149.

Kaplan, D.L., Hernandez, B., Balcazar, F.E., Keys, C.B., & McCullough, S. (2001). Assessing and improving accessibility of public accommodations in an urban Latino community. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 12, 55-62.

Hernandez, B., Keys, C., & Balcazar, F. (2000). Employer attitudes toward workers with disabilities and their ADA employment rights: A literature review. Journal of Rehabilitation, 66, 4-16.

Keys, C., Horner-Johnson, A., Hernandez, B., Weslock, K., & Vasiliauskas, L. (1999). Learning science for social good: Dynamic tensions in developing undergraduate community researchers. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 18, 141-156.

Hernandez, B., Keys, C., Balcazar, F., & Drum, C. (1998). Construction and validation of the Disability Rights Attitude Scale: Assessing attitudes toward the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Rehabilitation Psychology, 43, 203-218.

Other publications:

Hernandez, B., & Hayes, E. (in press). Violence. In G. Albrecht (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Disability. CA: Sage Publications.

Hayes, E., & Hernandez, B. (in press). Peer support. In G. Albrecht (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Disability. CA: Sage Publications.

Hernandez, B., Keys, C., & Balcazar, F. (2000). Promoting disability rights in minority communities: An empowerment approach. The Community Psychologist, 32, 28-30.

Kaplan, D., Balcazar, F., Keys, C., Suarez-Balcazar, Y., Hernandez, B., Gomez, Y., & Mendez, J. (1997). Community capacity building for disability rights: The Latino ADA Project. The Community Psychologist, 30, 13-14.

Manuscripts under review:

Hernandez, B., McCullough, S., Balcazar, F., & Keys, C. (under review). Accessibility of public accommodations in three ethnic minority communities.

Hernandez, B., Balcazar, F., Keys, C., Rosen, J., & Hidalgo, M. (under review). Taking it to the streets: Ethnic minorities seek inclusion.

MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

American Psychological Association - Divisions 22 and 27
Midwestern Psychological Association
Society for Disability Studies