History of RISE

The committee for Researching Injustice and Social Equality (RISE), formerly known as the Ethnic Minority Concerns Committee (EMCC), was created at the 1994 Convention of the Association for Psychological Science in Washington, DC. The Student Caucus established the committee to act as a voice for the concerns of ethnic minority students of the APS.

Recognizing the continued incorporation of diverse perspectives as being fundamental to scientific psychology, in 2002, the scope of RISE was broadened to enhance awareness of the need for research by and/or about other underrepresented populations. In addition to members of ethnic minorities, the focus of the committee grew to include people with disabilities, women’s issues, weight issues, working class individuals, aging, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people.