Loretta N. McGregor, PhD

Loretta Neal McGregor, PhD, is professor of Psychology and past president of the Faculty Senate at Arkansas State University, in Jonesboro. She has been a member of the faculty for 15 years and served as chairperson in the Department of Psychology and Counseling for eight years. McGregor has taught in higher education for 30+ years. She received a bachelor’s degree, in psychology, from Ouachita Baptist University; completed a master’s of Science in General Experimental Psychology at Emporia State University; and earned a PhD in Human Factors Psychology from Wichita State University. McGregor is a fellow of the Southern Region Educational Board’s Doctoral Scholar’s Program and was the first program recipient from the state of Arkansas.

Her professional involvements include membership in the Southwestern Psychological Association where she served on the Board of Directors as the representative for the state of Arkansas, Director of Programming, and Director of Conference Planning. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), where she served on The Board of Directors for Educational Affairs. McGregor is also a member of APA’s Division 2: The Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP). In Division 2, she served as the Associate Director of Society Programming for the APA Convention. In addition to her leadership roles, McGregor served on numerous other committees and working groups in APA and STP. Her service extends beyond the discipline and includes work with The College Board, Advanced Placement, SREB, and as a reviewer for the Ford Foundation Fellowship.

McGregor is the 2020 recipient of The Society for the Teaching of Psychology Presidential Citation for outstanding service to the division and the discipline of psychology. She is also the first person of color to receive the distinguished honor. McGregor has become one of the foremost scholars on the life and contributions of Mamie Phipps Clark, the notable psychologist, whose research was instrumental in the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling which led to the dismantling of racial segregation in the United States. McGregor has given numerous presentations, in the U.S. and abroad, about Clark. McGregor’s work as a scholar has resulted in numerous accolades, publications, and research presentations but she believes her greatest contributions were produced outside of the discipline. In particular, she is the proud mother of Porsha and Sean and the grandmother of Isiah McGregor.