Nathan R. Todd

Nathan R. Todd is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign since 2023, with prior roles as Associate Professor (2018-2023) and Assistant Professor (2014-2018). He directs the Ecologies of Liberation Lab, focusing on social justice, religious settings, and structural stigma affecting marginalized communities. His research bridges ecological models with critical analysis of oppression and liberation processes.

• Current affiliations: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2014–present), DePaul University (2010–2013)
• Education: Ph.D. in Psychology (2010, University of Illinois), M.A. in Psychology (2004, Fuller Theological Seminary), M.A. in Theology (2004, Fuller Theological Seminary), B.A. in Psychology (2002, University of Oklahoma)

His research examines:

• Religious settings as mediators for social justice, analyzing congregational dynamics and SGM (Sexual and Gender Minority) spirituality
• Colorblind racial ideology differentiation (color evasion vs. power evasion) and its impact on racial justice
• White and Christian privilege awareness, focusing on dominant group responses to systemic inequality
• Structural stigma through religious environment assessment tools
• Ecological methods like social network analysis in congregational studies

Recent publications highlight:

• Religious environment's role in SGM mental health disparities
• Intersectional activism among Asian American students
• Power evasion's harmful effects on racial justice
• Innovative scales for measuring microaggression acceptability

Scientific recognition includes:

• SCRA Fellow (2021)
• Early Career Award (APA Division 27, 2018)
• Grants from the Louisville Institute (2022)
• Teaching awards (Mabel Kirkpatrick Hohenboken, Dr. T. W. Adams Alumni Lecture)

He mentors graduate students in the clinical-community program, with former advisees like Emily Blevins, Brett Boeh Bergmann, Yara Mekawi, and Jacqueline Yi achieving academic and professional milestones. The lab engages in mixed-methods research, community partnerships, and policy analysis to advance liberation psychology.