Carlene Olivia Fider is originally from the beautiful island of Jamaica, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Northern Caribbean University (NCU). Due to her desire to obtain skills that would support health family functioning, she relocated to the United States to pursue graduate education in the areas of Marital and Family Therapy (MA) and Family Studies (PhD), both of which she obtained from Loma Linda University Health (LLUH).

Since her graduation, Dr. Carlene has worked exclusively in higher education, and is currently a professor of Human Development at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California. One of her goals is to support students in their academic journeys so that they can take the knowledge gained to the communities who need it most. Dr. Carlene is a published author and has many family science research interests which can be condensed into overall family health/functioning, development over the lifespan, and sustainable activism. When not involved in academic work, she is passionate about supporting efforts/organizations that have as their focus social justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and advocacy for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), as well as experimenting with plant-based recipes.

She is grateful to have been able to traveled to various parts of the world for pleasure, business, and service. These opportunities have provided her the ability to experience new cultures and new foods, as she considers herself a novice plant-based foodie.

A selection of Carlene’s recent courses:
TDS-436 “Mind Matters: Empowering Young People with Skills to Support Their Mental Health” (Spring 2021)
TDS-457 “Service for Community Change: Recruiting Mental Health Professionals of Color (Spring 2021)
PRD-276 “Toy Design: Toys and Their Superpower to Heal” (Spring 2021)
ENV-310-04 “The Urban Hangout: Injecting New Life, New Paradigms into teen spaces” (Spring 2021)
TDS-451A “Reimagining Access: Inclusive Technology for Archives and Special Collections” (Spring 2021)