Dr. Germán A. Cadenas

Dr. Germán A. Cadenas is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University. He also serves as inaugural Associate Director of the Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness (CYSEW) and leads the Lab for Immigrant Rights and Mental Health. He has a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Arizona State University and completed a doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship in health service psychology at the University of California Berkeley. 

His academic work is community-based and focused on the psychology of immigration and on critical consciousness as a tool for social justice. This includes the development and validation of strategies to support the psychological well-being, education, career/work, and health of immigrants and other underserved communities. His advocacy and research have informed the implementation of policies and programs to support undocumented students and families in higher education and in K-12 schools. At the national level, his research and testimony have reached the policymaking process in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. He currently serves as Senior Advisor on Public Policy for the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA). On the global stage, Dr. Cadenas was a featured speaker at the 17th Annual Psychology Day at the United Nations. He is the recipient of the American Psychological Association (APA) Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest.