Heather Bullock, an associate professor of psychology, will assume leadership of the Center for Justice, Tolerance, and Community on July 1. Bullock will succeed founding director Manuel Pastor, a professor of Latin American and Latino studies.
"I'm eager to honor and continue the great traditions Manuel started and to deepen and expand the center's relationships in the local and regional community," said Bullock.
Established in 1999, the Center for Justice, Tolerance, and Community (CJTC) is an applied research center that strives to elevate the quality of public debate. With offices at Merrill College, the center brings together faculty, staff, associated researchers, and community members to conduct research and public outreach on challenging topics that include racial and economic inequality, affordable housing, and environmental justice.
A social psychologist whose research interests focus on economic justice, particularly women's poverty, and welfare policy, Bullock said she was drawn to CJTC shortly after joining the UCSC faculty in 1999.
Prior to her arrival at UCSC, Bullock was an American Psychological Association/American Association for the Advancement of Science Congressional Fellow in the Democratic Committee Office of Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Senator Edward Kennedy. "I came here with a deep commitment to doing policy-oriented work," said Bullock.
Bullock said she looks forward to building on CJTC's commitment to provide meaningful policy analysis that will help inform community leaders and decision makers in California and nationally.
"The CJTC is a showcase for the social-justice work of UCSC faculty," said Bullock, who served on the center's steering committee for several years. "So many faculty are doing great community-based work that has meaningful implications for social change. The CJTC's mission is a perfect fit for our campus."
