Fall is a season of colors. Here in Colorado, the greens of summer give way to yellow aspens and cottonwoods. Grasses turn to auburn as trees across the front range offer majestic red and orange accents.
By October, the fall color palette broadens to include many shades of purple — on pins and clothes as many of us do our part to raise awareness about intimate partner abuse during Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM).
This DVAM, we hope you’ll join us in wearing purple as you get to know our team. We’re excited to introduce you to Betsy Serrano (pictured second from right in our team’s DVAM photo!), a 2nd year graduate student with the TSS Group.
Q: Betsy, tell us about yourself, please!
Hiya! My name is Betsy Serrano (she/her/ella), and I’m a first-generation Chicana/Mexican-American scholar-advocate. I was born and raised in Southern California, where I earned my B.A. in Psychological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine in 2022. My passion for research started in undergrad. Writing my honors thesis on machismo and attitudes toward violence showed me how deeply culture shapes experiences of violence, and working with unhoused women living with PTSD and substance use disorders showed me the power of community-engaged research. Those experiences led me to the Esperanza United Research Fellowship, which deepened my commitment to culturally responsive research with Latine communities. After graduating, I joined Duke University as a researcher working on trauma and technology-based interventions. Along the way, I stayed grounded in anti-violence advocacy through years of volunteer work, from campus prevention programming to domestic violence advocacy.
Outside of research, you’ll usually find me exploring the outdoors with my dog. In another life, I’d be a park ranger! I also love dancing with my partner, reading, and playing video games.
Q: As a second-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Program, what are your current research interests?
Ending violence is at the heart of my work, and research is how I carry that mission forward. I’m especially interested in trauma in the context of gender-based violence and how it shows up in Latine communities. My other research interests include cultural psychology, post-traumatic growth and resilience, and liberation psychology. Ultimately, I want my work to inform clinical interventions, policy, and organizational efforts within an anti-violence framework.
Q: What drew you to the TSS Group?
I value a holistic, whole-person approach to studying trauma, and the TSS Group fits that perfectly. Our work covers the full spectrum: the factors that increase vulnerability following trauma, the symptoms that follow, the interventions that address those symptoms, and the systemic and policy changes needed. I also love that we apply research to real-world issues through partnerships with community-based and system-based organizations.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish as a member of the TSS Group?
I hope my cultural lens and dedication to amplifying diverse voices can help broaden the reach and impact of the group’s work. In doing so, I want to expand the trauma literature to better reflect the range of survivors’ experiences. Rooted in my identity and the history of psychology within my community, I see myself as an advocate for change in the field!
