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Georgia Babladelis was a female psychologist born in the United States. Starting in the 1950s,  Babladelis’ work focused on creating diversity in universities and ensuring that women had a place in the workforce as well as in school environments.

Babledelis studied gender and sex roles; personality development; psychotherapy; the psychology of women; and women's education. Babladelis played a major role in Division 35: Society for the Psychology of Women, which formed in 1973.

Early Life
Georgia Babladelis was born to Greek immigrant parents in Manistique, Michigan in 1931. Babladelis had a sister, Helen, and a brother, George. She remained in Michigan for much of her youth, e and she attended the University of Michigan for her bachelor's degree.

Life and career
Georgia Babladelis was a psychology professor at Cal State from 1964 until 1994. As one of the university’s first female professors, Babladelis contributed to the development of Cal State’s women's studies program, and she started the university’s nursing department. She was also the founding editor of Psychology of Women Quarterly, a research journal dedicated to female cognition and behavior.

Babaldelis was a big contributor to the success of Division 35. This fueled her efforts to promote the psychology of women on a much larger scale. Babladelis also had the opportunity to represent the United States in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Babladelis received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Michigan in 1953. She earned her masters from the University of California at Berkeley in 1957, followed by her doctorate in psychology at the University of Colorado in 1960. She worked at the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center in Oakland for three years. Babledelis then taught h at Cal State.

Babledalis was a Fellow of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, a member of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, a member of International Psychology, and a  Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and Women's Psychological Association. These professional activities helped Babeldelis promote intercultural dialogue and gender equality education in professional psychology.

During the 1980s, Babladelis had the opportunity to be the United States Director of Research for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). She was able to promote gender equality, intercultural dialogue, and education for all.

After she retired from teaching in 1994, Babladelis continued writing and working with the League of Women's Voters. Through this work, she was able to continue promoting and supporting feminism. Babladelis also created a scholarship to support students who return to school to complete their degrees. This scholarship was named after her.

Babledelis contributed to establishing the Women's Studies Program and created the first Psychology of Women course at her institution as well as a nursing program.

Psychology of Women Quarterly
Babladelis founded Psychology of Women Quarterly, a research journal dedicated to female behavior and cognition. Here is a quote from one of the experts Babladellis wrote during her career. “Not long ago worried critics warned that we psychologists were in danger of knowing a great deal about only a small segment of society, namely the college student. The research community responded effectively and has continued to expand the range and representativeness of the subject populations studied. Recently concerned critics have pointed out that the earlier problem masked an older bias in research and that most of our information about behavior is based on the study of men only. Once more scientists are responding effectively and new literature on the psychology of women is emerging. A paramount purpose of this journal is to make that literature readily available. (p. 3)”

Acknowledgments
In 1992, Babladelis was recognized as one of the “100 Outstanding Women in Psychology” during the American Psychological Association’s centennial celebration. She will also be remembered as one of the founders and editors of the Psychology of Women Quarterly and the outstanding work published in the journal over the years.

“This university has always been very supportive of the mature students making their way back,” Babladelis said in 2005. “I’ve seen how these students, in particular, can have a more difficult time succeeding in the classroom. They’re already holding down full-time jobs while supporting their families. I’ve had first-hand contact with so many of these students, and I’ve come to admire the challenge they take on.”

Personal Interests
Babladelis had a large passion for animals. This led her to research gorilla interaction and communication. In her research, Babladelis found that gorillas have the desire to be in family settings. This influenced the design of the San Diego Wild Animal Center's gorilla habitat. Later in life Babladelis donated to the Center for Companion Animal Health at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis.

International Travel
Babladelis loved to travel around the world. She was well-versed and interested in many different cultures and served as the U.S. director of research for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in the early 1980s. This allowed her to travel the world to promote women's rights, her biggest passion and mission in life.