Dr. Erika Felix of UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School has been elected to the Board of Directors of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). ISTSS is an international interdisciplinary professional organization, representing approximately 2,400 researchers and professionals from around the globe, that promotes advancement and exchange of knowledge about traumatic stress. This knowledge includes understanding the scope and consequences of traumatic exposure, preventing traumatic events and ameliorating their consequences, and advocating for the field of traumatic stress.
Erika Felix is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology and a licensed psychologist. She received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Southern California and her Ph.D. in clinical-community psychology from DePaul University. After completing a postdoctoral research fellowship at UCSB, she continued as a professional researcher for several years before joining the faculty in 2014. Dr. Felix is committed to a career that contributes to evidence-based efforts to promote the mental health and educational well-being of diverse children and youth. Her research is focused on understanding the individual, relational, and contextual factors that promote positive youth development or recovery despite contexts of risk, trauma, or stress; informing and evaluating prevention efforts; and improving service delivery. Her work spans three related areas: (1) promoting adaptive recovery for youth following disaster, terrorism, or other collectively-experienced traumas, (2) youth victimization and its consequences, and (3) research and evaluation to improve community-based services. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, private foundations, and local community organizations.
Dr. Felix teaches graduate courses on Counseling Children and Families and Family and School Violence, as well as an undergraduate course on Psychology of Gender. She serves on the Membership Committee and Diversity Committee of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies and is a member of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Felix also continues to actively engage in systems change and advocacy work to address the social crisis of human trafficking and modern day slavery. She has provided education on human trafficking to student groups at UCSB and the broader community, and serves as Chair of the Data & Evaluation Sub-Committee of the Santa Barbara County Human Trafficking Taskforce.