Awards & Publications

Awards

Tamil American Pioneer Award (2024). An award in recognition of my outstanding Academic contribution to cultural psychology, social justice, and DEI by the Federation of Tamil Associations of North America.

Edward Freeman Journal of Business Ethics Philosophy in Practice highly commended Best Paper Award (2024).

American Psychological Association Award (2022), Division 5 (Methodology) Distinguished Contribution to Teaching and Mentoring in Qualitative Inquiry

Senior Fellow, Michigan Society of Fellows (2017-2021)

Finalist, Golden Apple Award – A teaching award given by undergraduate students for outstanding teachers (2020)

Best Paper Award (2019) at the Thirteenth International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media for our Big Data paper on caste and matrimonial preferences (only one paper received this honor)

John Dewey Award in recognition of outstanding teaching, research, and mentoring (2017)

Best Paper on Diversity Award, Department of Psychology (2014)

Finalist, Provost’s Teaching Innovation Prize (2012)

Excellence in Education Award, University of Michigan (2011)

Fellow, American Psychological Association (2011- Present)

Florence L. Denmark and Mary E. Reuder Award for outstanding international contribution to the study of women, Division 52, American Psychological Association (2010)

Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (Division 9), American Psychological Association

Class of 1923 Memorial Teaching Award in Recognition of teaching and mentoring about socially relevant psychological issues (2008)

Outstanding Mentoring Award, Latino/a Psychology Students Association, Department of Psychology (2008)

Otto-Kleinberg Award, Best Paper on International and Intercultural Relations, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (Division 9), American Psychological Association (2008)

Junior Fellow, Michigan Society of Fellows, University of Michigan (1998-2001)

Harold R. Johnson Award (2022), the University of Michigan, in recognition of my outstanding leadership and contribution to DEI through research, teaching, mentoring, and service. (https://lsa.umich.edu/bli/news-events/all-news/search-news/bli-director-awarded-the-harold-r–johnson-diversity-service-awa.html)

Outstanding Mentoring Award, Latino/a Psychology Students Association, Department of Psychology (2008)

Publications

Mahalingam, R. (2019). Mindful mindset, interconnectedness, and dignity. Global Youth. 230-259.

Rajadesingan, A., Mahalingam, R., & Jurgens, D. (2019, June). Smart, Responsible, and Upper Caste Only: Measuring Caste Attitudes through Large-Scale Analysis of Matrimonial Profiles. In Thirteenth International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media.

Mahalingam, R., & Rabelo, V. C. (2019). Teaching Mindfulness to Undergraduates: A Survey and Photovoice Study. Journal of Transformative Education, 17(1), 51-70.

Vargas, E., Mahalingam, R. (2019). Experiences of patient incivility: A qualitative study. Journal of Patient Experience, 1-6. 

Mahalingam, R., Jagannathan, S., & Selvaraj, P. (2019). Decasticization, Dignity and ‘dirty’ work at the intersections of caste, memory and disaster. Business Ethics Quarterly, 29(2), 213-239.

Rabelo, V. C., & Mahalingam, R. (2019). “They really don’t want to see us”: How cleaners experience invisible ‘dirty’ work. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 113, 103-114.

Atewologun, D., & Mahalingam, R. (2018). Intersectional reflexivity: Methodological challenges and possibilities for qualitative, equality, diversity and inclusion research. In R. Bendl, L. Booysen, & J. Pringle (eds.), Handbook of Research methods on diversity management, equality and inclusion at work. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.

Vargas, E. A., Li, Y., Mahalingam, R., Hui, P., Liu, G., Lapedis, M., & Liu, R.(2018). The Double-Edge Sword of John Henryism: Impact on Patients’ Health in the People’s Republic of China. Journal of Health Psychology. DOI: 10.1177/1359105318800141

Vargas, E. A. & Mahalingam, R.(2018). Perceptions of Control and Improved Psychological, Physical, and Social Functioning in Postmenopausal Women. Journal of Health Psychology. DOI: 10.1177/1359105318754643

Kopelman, S. and Mahalingam, R. (2014). Negotiate mindfully. In J. Dutton and G. Spreitzer (Eds.), How to Become a Positive Leader: Small Actions, Big Impact. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.  

Kopelman, S., Mahalingam, R., & Gewurz, I. (2014). Mindfully managing emotions and resolving paradoxes in the contexts of negotiations. In S. Kopelman, R. Mahalingam, & I. Gewurz (eds.), Negotiation excellence: Successful deal making (pp. 227-239). Singapore: World Scientific.

Creative and Artistic Accomplishments

Co-Director, Mindful Eating Animation (2021)

Co-Director, Mindful Walking, Animation (2021)

Co-Curator, Being Brown: South Asian Narratives in Southeast Michigan, A Multimedia Installation Art Exhibit, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2019)

Director, Being Brown: Visual and Poetic Narratives, A Documentary (2019)

Director & Script Writer, Browing Booth, Animation (2019)

Writer, Producer, Silences, An Award Winning short film (2018) https://youtu.be/QxmRz-49g5s

DEI and other Administrative Accomplishments

Mentor, Mind & Life Institute Mentoring program for Ethnic minority scholars of mindfulness research (2023-24)

I served in 37 doctoral dissertation committees, of which I chaired/co-chaired 13 doctoral dissertations of mostly BIPOC and LGBTQA+ students

I chaired/co-chaired 13 undergraduate Honors Theses (9 out of 13 were from BIPOC and LGBTQA+ communities)

I served on the Provost Committee to improve the mental health of students and cowrote the committee report after conducting a year-long campus-wide comprehensive study of mental health issues of students at various intersecting identities and social contexts (2020-2021)

Co-Chaired the Identity and Well-Being committee to bring a DEI lens to implement the recommendations of the Provost Committee on Mental Health (2021-2022)

BLI is dedicated to the leadership development of undergraduate students and is open to students from all schools, including engineering, nursing, school of arts, school of information, and school of public health. BLI serves 800 students and over 100 students in five different leadership fellows programs. I developed the new leadership certificate program for undergraduates at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Served on several mentoring committees of junior faculty members who are underrepresented minorities.