Nic M. Weststrate

Dr. Nic M. Weststrate is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago. He holds affiliations with the Community & Applied Developmental Psychology program and the Center for Research on Health & Aging. His work bridges narrative psychology, critical-cultural studies, and queer activism, focusing on LGBTQ2SIA+ aging, intergenerational storytelling, and wisdom transmission.

Educations:

• PhD in Developmental Psychology and Education, University of Toronto (2017)
• MA in Developmental Psychology and Education, University of Toronto (2011)
• HBSc in Psychology and Philosophy, University of Toronto (2007)

Research Interests: Dr. Weststrate explores how marginalized LGBTQ+ communities utilize storytelling to foster psychosocial resilience across generations. His methods include structural psychobiography, experimental ethnography, and community-engaged research. Key themes include queer aging, wisdom transmission, and the role of cultural-historical memory in identity development.

Grants & Partnerships:

• Principal Investigator: UIC’s Queers Share This project and LGBTQ2SIA+ Campus Climate Study
• Co-Principal Investigator: Spencer Foundation (Queer Intergenerational Dialogues), RRF Foundation (Social Connectedness)

Awards:

• 2024 APA Division 1 Miller Award (Outstanding Article)
• 2023 UIC Emerging Faculty DEI Award
• 2022 UIC Honors College Fellow of the Year

Labs & Collaborations: Partners include the Pride in Aging Program at the Center on Halsted and AIDS Foundation Chicago’s Pride Action Tank. His LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project (LGD Project) is a signature community-engaged initiative.