Faculty Profile

My research areas include intergroup relations, stereotype/social identity threat, stereotyping and discrimination, cultural psychology, and applied VR/AR/XR research methodology. Broadly, my research integrates two theoretical traditions—stereotype/social identity threat and intergroup contact. Specifically, research in my lab examines three distinct but interrelated issues: how people 1) engage in interracial interactions, 2) experience race and gender in academic contexts, and 3) perceive racialized physical spaces. While research has shown the benefits of intergroup contact, greater contact among individuals with different social identities creates opportunities for social identity threat—the concern or worry that one may be treated or judged negatively based on one’s social group membership. Moreover, when people experience social identity threat, particularly in interpersonal contexts that reinforce the United State’s legacy of racism, sustained interracial contact, cross-race understanding, and an openness and commitment to addressing systemic racial inequities can be elusive. The goals of my research are to investigate ways to improve (inter)racial attitudes and increase identity-safety for members of historically marginalized groups. Ultimately, this work serves to motivate collective action to reduce social inequities using traditional social psychological behavioral change methodologies and virtual reality.