Jay Bettergarcia

Jay Bettergarcia is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology and Child Development Department at Cal Poly, joining in 2016. They lead the Queer Community Action, Research, Education, and Support (QCARES) team, focusing on LGBTQ mental health and evidence-based diversity training.

• Ph.D. in Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology, University of California at Santa Barbara
• M.A. in Social Psychology, San Francisco State University
• B.S. in Psychology with minor in Women’s & Gender Studies, Cal Poly

Bettergarcia’s research emphasizes community-based action research and mixed-method designs to advance LGBTQ wellness and address resistance in diversity trainings. Their work spans transgender/non-binary affirming care, gender diversity education, and multicultural psychology.

Bettergarcia’s publications from 2013-2017 reflect interdisciplinary engagement with gender assessment, police training, curriculum development, and resistance dynamics. These works bridge psychology, public health, criminal justice, and social sciences.

No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided texts.

As faculty, they teach courses like Multicultural Psychology (PSY 372) and Abnormal Psychology (PSY 405), aligning with their mission to create data-driven strategies for LGBTQ inclusion in educational and clinical settings.