LMU | LA - BCLA

Rank:

Office:

Telephone:

e-mail:

Professor

University Hall 4747

(310) 338 - 3016

cgrills@lmu.edu

Education:

B.A., Yale University, 1980
M.A., University of California at Los Angeles, 1982
Ph.D., University of California at Los Angeles, 1985.

Specialty:

Clinical and community psychology, African psychology, substance abuse prevention and treatment, program evaluation research, traditional medicine in Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal.

-Ghana Study Abroad Program, (Founder and Faculty Sponsor)
-Founder, Kente Scholars Graduation Program (1996-present)
-Chair, Psychology Department, Loyola Marymount University 

Dr. Cheryl Tawede Grills joined LMU's Psychology Department in 1987. Dr. Grills completed her undergraduate training at Yale University with a double major in Psychology and Africana studies. She received her Masters and Ph.D. from UCLA. For a number of years Dr. Grills was a research associate at UCLA's Drug Abuse Research Center where she was a co-principle investigator in a substance abuse clinical trials study.

Her research interests and current projects include African Psychology, African concepts of consciousness, altruism and compassion research, developing and testing African centered models of treatment engagement with African American substance abusers, research on traditional medicine in West Africa and program evaluation with community based organizations engaged in social action, community change and prevention. She is the founder of Imoyase Community Support Services, a non-profit, community based, multiethnic research and program evaluation organization. A member of the National Association of Black Psychologists, Dr. Grills is a registered member of the Ghana National Association of Traditional Healers. She consults on a number of prevention and treatment issues particularly regarding matters of cultural and social competence, multiculturalism and Africentric interventions.

Dr. Grills is married, has three children, and countless "adopted" children in the US and West Africa.

Grills, C. (Accepted for Publication 2008). African Psychology: Reflections and Refinements. In: Mkize, N. (Ed) African Psychology. Pretoria, South Africa: Van Schaik.

Grills, C. (2006). Afterward. In W. Nobles (Ed). Seeking the sakhu: Foundational writings for an African psychology. Chicago: Third World Press.

Grills, C. (2004). African psychology. In R. Jones (Ed). African psychology. Hampton, VA: Cobb and Henry.

Grills, C. (2004). African psychology. A rejoinder. In R. Jones (Ed). African psychology. Hampton, VA: Cobb and Henry.

Grills, C. (2004). To be an African psychologist: A pilgrimage to Iwa Pele. Psych Discourse. 36 (2), 5-7.

Grills, C. (2003). Substance Abuse and African Americans. In D. Gilbert & E. Wright (Eds.), African American women living with HIV: The need for critical responses. Praeger Press.

Grills, C. (2002). African psychology. In T. Parham (Ed.), Counseling persons of African descent. Woodland Hills: Sage Publications.

Grills, C & Ajei, M. (2002). African-centered conceptualizations of self and consciousness: The Akan model.  In T. Parham (Ed.), Counseling persons of African descent. Woodland Hills: Sage Publications.

Grills, C. and Bass, K. (2001). African Americans and The Prison Industrial Complex.. Community

Psychologist - News Journal of Division 27 of the American Psychological Association.

Ajei, M. and Grills, C. (2000). Sunsum as Conscious Energy. Psych Discourse, (20) 12-15.

Longshore, D. & Grills, C. (2000). Motivating recovery from illegal drug use: Evidence for a culturally congruent intervention. Journal of Black Psychology 26(3), 288-301.

Longshore, D. & Grills, C, & Annon, K. (1999). Effects of a culturally congruent intervention on cognitive factors related to drug-use recovery. Substance Use and Misuse, 34 (9), 1223-1241.

Grills, C. & Rowe, D. (1998). African traditional medicine: Implications for African-centered approaches to healing. In R. Jones (Ed.), African American Mental Health, Hampton, VA: Cobb & Henry.

Grills, C. & Rowe, D. (1998). Research teams in ethnic communities. Drugs and Society, 14(1-2), 247-268.  Co-published simultaneously in M.R. De La Rosa, B. Segal, & R. Lopez (Eds.), Conducting Drug Abuse Research with Minority Populations, Haworth Press, New York.

Longshore, D., Grills, C., Anglin, M.D., & Annon, K. (1998) Treatment motivation among African American drug-using arrestees. Journal of Black Psychology, 24 (2) 126-144.

Longshore, D., Grills, C., (1998). Drug problem recognition among African American drug-using arrestees.  Addictive Behaviors, 23( 2), 275-279.

Longshore, D., Grills, C., Annon, K. & Grady, R., (1998). Promoting recovery from drug abuse: An Africentric intervention. Journal of Black Studies, 28(3), 319-333.

Grills, C. & Longshore, D. (1996). Africentrism: Psychometric analysis of a self-report measure. Journal of Black Psychology, 22 (1), 86-106.

Grills, C. & Nobles, W. (1995). A covenant with destiny: The ABPsi African healers project; Psych Discourse, 26 (6), 8-9.

Grills, C. (1995). The African traditional healers project: A covenant. Psych Discourse, 26 (6), 11-12.