Please join me in congratulating Bernice Pescosolido, distinguished professor of sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences, on being named the inaugural Jim Irsay Mental Health Champion by the Indianapolis Colts and its Kicking the Stigma initiative.
Professor Pescosolido is director of IU’s Irsay Institute, and her groundbreaking research focuses on suicide, stigma, healthcare, and the social networks that shape mental health treatment. In 1996, she initiated the first major national study of mental health stigma in the U.S. in over 40 years.
Kalen Jackson, Colts Owner and Chief Brand Officer and president of the Colts Foundation said of Pescosolido in a recent news release announcing the award, “In addition to being one of the world’s experts on stigma in mental health and a tireless professor at IU, Bernice has been an invaluable resource to Kicking the Stigma and our efforts to change the dialogue around mental health.”
Congratulations, Professor Pescosolido!