Anita M. Wells
Psychology Assistant Professor
Anita M. Wells, Ph.D. is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at Morgan State University where she also serves as Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Psychometrics. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and completed her clinical internship at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Hines VA Hospital. She also holds an M.A. in Psychology from Wesleyan University and a B.A. in African American Studies from Yale. Prior to joining the Psychology faculty, Dr. Wells was a postdoctoral fellow in the Kellogg Health Scholars Program and was based at the School of Community Health and Policy at Morgan. Dr. Wells’ research focuses on health disparities, health promotion, and mental health. Her work is geared toward effectively promoting enduring positive health practices (i.e. participation in health screenings) in minority populations and improving public understanding of and support for preventive mental health populations and improving public understanding of and support for preventive mental health initiatives. She has conducted community based research with African American populations for 12 years. During her postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Wells worked with researchers at Johns Hopkins on a study of breast health behaviors and age at first mammogram among African American women in the greater Baltimore area.
Dr. Wells’ current research includes a pilot study examining how Black women under the age of 40 make health decisions regarding cancer screening. Her other primary line of research focuses on the impact of trauma and violence on mental health and well-being with an emphasis on U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She has a forthcoming chapter on mental health in the second edition of Prevention is Primary: Strategies for Community Well-being. Dr. Wells is committed to the development of applied scholarship. The foundation of her teaching philosophy is her belief that students learn best when they feel respected, when they are challenged and encouraged, and when they experience a sense of ownership for their education. Her teaching practice stresses critical reflection and the development of both analytical and writing skills.
