Photo by Central College
Published May 15, 2012, last updated on February 15, 2013
DGHI faculty member Kathleen Sikkema was commencement speaker at her alma mater on Saturday - Central College in Pella, Iowa, where she also received an honorary degree.
Sikkema told graduating seniors to take advantage of the opportunities provided by Central College and to seek a rewarding career path. She added, “Trust yourself in the choices you make—what is possible may not yet be clear.”
Sikkema is professor of psychology and neuroscience, global health and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke. She is also director of the clinical psychology doctoral program and the social and behavioral science core in the Center for AIDS Research.
In the college’s announcement, Central College president Mark Putnam said Sikkema has been influential on a global level, is a shining example of service and dedication, and is powerful in showing students career pathways and opportunities.
As an expert in HIV prevention and mental health, Sikkema’s research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health for 20 years. Her research focuses on developing and evaluating community approaches to help those with HIV disease cope with bereavement and traumatic stress and to reduce HIV risk and gender inequalities. She also participates in research capacity building efforts in Tanzania and has conducted research in South Africa for more than 10 years.
Sikkema earned her Ph.D.in clinical psychology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She was then appointed to the faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin and subsequently Yale University School of Medicine. Sikkema has 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals such as American Journal of Public Health, Health Psychology, AIDS and AIDS and Behavior.
At Central, Sikkema was a psychology major and math minor. She was also an Upward Bound tutor counselor. Sikkema credits Central with boosting her confidence and helping her develop her career goals. Her brother Randy Sikkema is a 1982 graduate who lives in Pella, and her mother Susan Sikkema works at Central in campus security.
Sikkema has been influential on a global level, is a shining example of service and dedication, and is powerful in showing students career pathways and opportunities.
