Email: scooper@hostos.cuny.edu
Office Tel: 718-518-7990
Biography: Stacey J. Cooper, Ph.D., is a Developmental Psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ (CUNY). Dr. Cooper holds degrees from The City College of New York and the CUNY Graduate Center, and is a contributor to the book Immigrant Children and Youth: Psychological Challenges (2015). Through her expertise in cultural identity, inclusive pedagogy and digital education, Dr. Cooper’s work seeks to dismantle deficit-based thinking by amplifying the cultural knowledge and lived experiences of Black and Latinx immigrant students.
As a researcher and mentor, she leads the Ethnic Minority Immigrant Cultural Identity & Learning Project, where she empowers emerging student scholars to develop their own research skills. Her current study, supported by the 2025 ADELANTE Grant (funded by the MacKenzie Scott Gift), examines how the Flipped Classroom model supports the academic success of first-generation community college students. This builds on her 2023 research into the role of digital technology in post-pandemic education.
Dr. Cooper’s dedication to social justice and equity drives her work both inside and outside the classroom. As co-leader of the Student-Centered Pedagogy Faculty Seminar, she supports faculty in developing inclusive classrooms that better serve a diverse student body. As a 2023 Global Scholars Achieving Success (GSACS) Fellow, she integrated global perspectives into her teaching through virtual exchanges tied to UN Sustainable Development Goals. To support the “whole student,” she launched the Teaching Meets Wellness Initiative in 2022, bringing mental health awareness directly into the college learning experience. Her commitment to campus safety and inclusion also extends to the Unseen Threads Initiative (2025), a city-wide partnership with the NYC City Council and Queensborough Community College to prevent hate crimes. Additionally, her leadership in the Anti-Blackness in the Academe Conference, part of the CUNY DEI Incubator, earned her team the 2023 Manos a la Obra Award for tackling difficult conversations at the university. Ultimately, Dr. Cooper’s student-centered approach fosters a culture of belonging by amplifying the voices and lived experiences of immigrant and first-generation scholars.
Website:
Courses Usually Taught:
PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology
PSY 110 Lifespan Developmental Psychology
PSY 120 Child Development
PSY 180 Psychology of Aging