Shelly Grabe

Shelly Grabe is a Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), and currently serves as Provost at Rachel Carson College. Her work integrates decolonial feminist frameworks, social justice, and community engagement to address structural inequities and women’s rights.

Research Interests: Her research focuses on women’s activism in the Majority World (Nicaragua, Peru, Tanzania), examining grassroots movements’ roles in promoting gender justice, links between land ownership and women’s empowerment, and feminist activism’s impact on progressive legislation. She employs feminist liberation psychology and transnational methodologies.

Teaching: Grabe teaches courses such as Transnational Feminism, Psychology and Social Activism, and Women’s Bodies and Psychological Well-Being, emphasizing community-based learning and critical engagement with global justice issues.

Community and Institutional Leadership: As a UCSC Provost, she prioritizes decolonizing knowledge, equity, and sustainability in curricula. She directed the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery’s feminist art installations and supervised undergraduate field placements with organizations like the Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission and Walnut Avenue Women’s Center.