Vanessa Oliphant

Vanessa Oliphant is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology and an Assistant Professor of African American Studies at the University of Mississippi, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Psychology.

• B.A. in African Studies from University of California-Berkeley (2017)
• M.S. in Community Psychology from Florida A&M University (2020)

Her research focuses on:

• Black Psychology
• Black feminist healing strategies
• Black women’s mental health
• Culturally specific coping mechanisms
• Suicide risk and protective factors

Dr. Oliphant emphasizes the integration of African/Black Psychology with African American Studies to explore culturally relevant approaches to mental health and healing, particularly centered on Black women’s experiences.