Implicit Social Cognition Lab

My own research is on unconscious or implicit bias with emphasis on the plasticity of implicit bias—I study the ways in which changes in social contexts correspondingly change implicit attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. In collaboration with graduate students and postdocs, my current research identifies the types of academic and professional contexts that protect individuals' sense of self and aspirations against negative stereotypes. My research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the American Psychological Foundation. The work has been recognized through the Distinguished Academic Outreach Award in Research from UMass Amherst (2014) and the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Research and Creative Activity (2016), the Hidden Bias Research Prize awarded by the Level Playing Field Institute, a private foundation based in Silicon Valley (2012), and through distinguished faculty lectures at the National Science Foundation (2016) and at UMass Amherst (2016). A good bit of my time is spent translating scientific research to inform social problems such as educational disparities in science, engineering, and mathematics, and the underrepresentation of women and ethnic minorities in professional leadership roles. I've presented this work to K-12 teachers and administrators, university leaders and faculty, business leaders, policymakers on Capitol Hill, and at a White House roundtable organized by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Office of Public Engagement. I'm the founding director of a new Institute of Diversity Sciences at UMass Amherst.