Research Interests
My research concerns the connections between individual psychology and social structure. I am particularly interested in the ways in which our positions in the social structure (specifically with respect to gender, social class, and disability), and at particular historical moments, shape our individual psychological experiences.
I have pursued these interests in the domains of women's midlife personality development, socioeconomic status and health, social class and the college experience, and relationships between people with disabilities and non-disabled people.
I am currently working on projects related to how social class
background shapes people's experiences at college and graduate school,
and about how people build alliances across differences related to
social identity. In collaboration with Professor Gina Oliva from
Gallaudet University, I am working on a project about alliances between
Deaf/hard-of-hearing people and hearing people. Professor
Kendrick Brown from Macalester and I are working on a study of
friendships between people of color and white people