Carlos Velez

Carlos Vélez is a Professor of Psychology at Middlebury College. He is originally from Puerto Rico and arrived at Middlebury in 1993 after completing the Ph.D. program in Psychology at the University of Vermont. He conducted his undergraduate studies, obtaining a B.S., at The Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Ponce.

His research focuses primarily on risk-taking behaviors by college students. In particular he is interested in alcohol consumption, its causes and consequences, as well as sexual risk-taking, including casual sex and protective behaviors. Recent work has examined possible avenues to reduce riskiness regarding the latter. His approach to these topics relies primarily on social-psychological, cognitive, and cognitive-behavioral models and interventions. His work has also examined personality dimensions of alcohol use and sexual risk-taking. He is also interested on these issues and on psychological processes of a more general nature in a cross-cultural context as it pertains to all U.S. minorities, especially Latinos.

Professor Vélez teaches a range in psychology including Introduction to Psychology, Personality Psychology, Addictions, The psychology of Racial and Ethnic Minorities, and Drugs, Society, and Behavior