Ever since an 11th-grade psychology class gave her goosebumps, Robin Holmes has had an intense interest in psychology and the specific needs of college students.
“The 18- to 24-year-old range is the most critical time for students’ development in general,” she said. “Lots of things happen during that age range, whether it’s suicide, first psychotic break, depression, first relationship break-up ….”
Holmes, a clinical psychologist, was appointed interim dean of students in June, a position she said will enable her to continue her work preventing student suicide and help her improve the social environment on campus.
Holmes will continue to work as director of the Counseling and Testing Center.
In addition to her official University positions, Holmes works for the Center on Diversity and Community and heads the University’s Cultural Competency Program while maintaining a private psychology practice in Eugene.
Improving campus-wide cultural competency and suicide prevention are her principle aims as interim dean, Holmes said.
“These things are very important, and they will have long lasting effects on the health of the campus,” she said.
Holmes plans to use her position as interim dean of students to further the University’s cultural competency objectives.
“We’re bringing together a committee of student affairs professionals who are going to work on writing our divisional cultural competency plan,” she said. “I think we can lead the charge in bringing cultural competency to campus.”
Holmes will work with is Chicora Martin, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Educational and Support Services Program.
“She has always been an advocate for diversity and addressing issues of bias on campus,” Holmes said.
To define cultural competency, Holmes draws examples from her work as a psychologist.
“As a psychologist, ethically, I have to be culturally competent,” she said. “So If someone came in to see me I would be able to understand that person and not let my own biases, my own blindspots and my own judgments get in the way of helping that person.”
A culturally competent campus requires that individuals keep biases and backgrounds from hindering relations with others, Holmes said.
“Whether the student is white, brown, yellow or green, if they’re coming in to see us, we need to help them,” she said.
Holmes serves on University President Dave Frohnmayer’s Executive Diversity Committee. The committee comprises 10 faculty members and one student, ASUO President Adam Walsh.
Walsh praised Holmes for her work on the committee.
“She’s very calm in demeanor,” Walsh said. “She wasn’t a front-runner in leading discussion, but when she had to make a point, she did.”
Holmes traces her passion for diversity issues to her experiences as an African-American woman and her training in psychology.
“As a person of color, I find it to be something that’s very important for me personally,” she said. “I’ve been in many situations where I’ve been the only person of color.”

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