Rate My Professor Kristin Beals

Kristin Beals, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Fullerton, where she has been a faculty member since 2005, initially as Assistant Professor from 2005 to 2009, then Associate Professor from 2009, and subsequently promoted to full Professor. She completed her Ph.D. in Social Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2003, with minors in Quantitative Methods and Health Psychology. Her dissertation, titled "Stigma Management and Well-being: The Role of Social Support, Cognitive Processing, and Suppression," investigated factors influencing well-being among stigmatized individuals. Beals earned her M.A. in Social Psychology from UCLA in 1998 and her B.A. in Psychology from Auburn University in 1995, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Prior to her position at CSUF, she served as a UC Faculty Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Irvine from 2003 to 2004 and as a Fellow in the NIMH AIDS Training Program at UCLA from 2004 to 2005.

Beals' research specializations include social psychology, queer psychology, health and well-being, and stigma. Her current research centers on the queer experience, examining the lives and relationships of LGBTQIA+ individuals with a focus on later-life coming out experiences, drawing on social psychological theories and health psychology principles. Key publications include "Stigma Management and Well-Being: The Role of Perceived Social Support, Emotional Processing, and Suppression" (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2009, co-authored with L. A. Peplau and S. L. Gable); "Disclosure Patterns Within Social Networks of Gay Men and Lesbians" (Journal of Homosexuality, 2006, with L. A. Peplau); "Age Cohort Differences in the Developmental Milestones of Gay Men" (Journal of Homosexuality, 2008, with H. Drasin et al.); and the Study Guide for Social Psychology and Human Nature (Thomson Publishers, 2008). She has received major awards such as Outstanding Educator of the Year from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, ASI, CSUF (2011-2012); Outstanding Faculty of the Year, Psychology Department, CSUF (2008-2009); HSS Service and Contributions to Student Success Award, CSUF (2009); and Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Service (2023).