Draft:Sandbox

Oliva Espin
Born	1938

Oliva Espin (born 1938) is a pioneering female psychologist who has influenced the psychological sciences through her scholarly and academic accomplishments in both psychology and feminist movements. She has contributed to psychology in several ways, specifically _____________, both nationally and globally. In 1991, Espin became the first Latina to earn the Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions from the American Psychological Association (APA). In 1994 she became a fellow of the British Psychological Society. Espin is the recipient of the APA International Division's Outstanding International Psychologist and APA’s Denmark-Reuder awards for Outstanding International Contributions to the Psychology of Women and Gender. Espin is a distinguished member and award recipient of the National Latina/o Psychological Association and the Association for Women in Psychology. Finally, Espin was the first Latina professor emerita of Women’s Studies at San Diego State University, having served the institution from 1990-2007.

Espin completed her undergraduate work at the Universidad de Costa Rica in 1969. She completed her doctoral work at the University of Florida in 1974. After graduation, Espin worked as a psychotherapist, interim assistant professor at ______in Canada, and an associate clinical professor at Boston University. She subsequently completed a National Institutes of Mental Health fellowship at Harvard University.

Advocacy

Espin has advocated for refugee women to help them gain access to mental healthcare services.

Espin's academic work is interdisciplinary, integrating scholarship from sociology, politics and religion to examine questions about gender, sexuality, language and race barriers. For instance, in “Feminist Theory: Not for or By White Women Only”, Espin critiqued Feminist Psychology for its lack of acknowledgement of race. In _________ she expands upon international and intersectional perspectives to consider the impact of transnational influences on ________ and migration.

She is especially known for her work in Latinx psychology. In the Latinx community, religion has a strong influence on the culture. There is a notable bias against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) persons. To address this, Espin has published an extensive body of work addressing LGBTQ issues. She has laid the groundwork for others to build upon. Espin believes that spirituality does not necessarily negate sexual orientation/gender identification, but instead has the potential to enhance the impact of self-care and psychotherapy. Espin was also influential in the 1991 name change of "The National Latino/a Psychological Association (NLPA)" to "The Latinx Psychological Association." The new name represents a larger range of potential gender identities. Espin retired in 2007, yet she is still in high demand. The NLPA name change is merely another reflection of her legacy.

Professional Life of Florence Denmark

Awards and honors

Espin became the first Latina to earn the Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions from the American Psychological Association (APA). In 1994 she became a fellow of the British Psychological Society. Espin is the recipient of the APA International Division's Outstanding International Psychologist and APA’s Denmark-Reuder awards for Outstanding International Contributions to the Psychology of Women and Gender. Espin is a distinguished member and award recipient of the National Latina/o Psychological Association and the Association for Women in Psychology.

External links

• Oliva Espin at San Diego State University
• Feminist Voices article on Oliva Espin
• Oliva Espin, Author
• Oliva Espin at Research Gate