Our Name and Logo

What Does Our Name Stand For?

Equity is at the heart of our work. But, our name is also an acronym exemplifying our central focus:

(E)nsuring

(Q)uality mental health care for

(U)ndersinvested communities and

(I)nclusive

(T)reatments for

(Y)outh, adults and families

Where Does Our Name Come From?

The tree represents wellness, growth, and flourishing. Our research group is interested in developing and and disseminating treatments that have front-of-mind the experiences and contexts that underserved communities face (e.g., social drivers of health, structural oppression). We thus seek to increase access to treatments that can foster holistic wellbeing within these groups, despite chronic and compounding stressors. Further, trees are resilient by their extensive root systems (connections with their community of trees) and the nutrients they are exposed to such as sunshine and rain. We seek to identify those critical ingredients (target for intervention) that foster wellness, growth, and flourishing.

The use of (pride) colors represents inclusion and celebration of distinct underserved communities, including LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and immigrants, among others.

The dots represent diversity in size, shape, and color to communicate that we are all one, not despite but because of our differences.

The formation of the dots (leaves) on the same tree represent community and togetherness, unified by similar sources of resilience.

Our History

The EQUITY Research Group was first established by Principal Investigator Dr. Gabriela Nagy at Duke University School of Medicine, and later expanded to the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Fall 2022. Prior to returning to UWM, Dr. Nagy was faculty at Duke University in the Department of Psychiatry (School of Medicine), Department of Population Health Sciences (School of Medicine), School of Nursing, and Duke Global Health Institute.