Devin Heyward

Devin is an Associate Professor in the department of Sociology, Urban Studies, and Anthropology, the Faculty Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, and the Director of the Gender and Sexuality Studies program at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, NJ. She is a graduate of the Critical Social-Personality Psychology doctoral program at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Dr. Heyward has taught a number of interdisciplinary courses including Global Feminism, Women in a Changing Urban World, Urban Anthropology, and the Sociology of Intimacy. Her research focuses on racial identity development over the lifespan and how it is influenced by chosen experiences, such as course enrollment and genetic ancestry testing. Dr. Heyward’s most recent project uses a Youth Participatory Action Research (Y-PAR) framework to develop a well-being survey and toolkit for and by Black youth and young adults. She currently serves as the Vice Chair for the Bronx Community Research Review Board (BxCRRB), an organization dedicated to the ethical inclusion of Bronx residents in medical and social research throughout the borough.

Visiting Fellow, 2024-2025