Research Expertise and Interest

diversity, culture, inclusion

Research Description

Victoria Plaut, a social and cultural psychologist, has been teaching at Berkeley since 2009. She was previously a faculty member in the psychology department at the University of Georgia and at the College of the Holy Cross. Dr. Plaut’s research on diversity, culture, and inclusion aims to address the challenges and opportunities of working, living, and learning in diverse environments. Her recent projects include studies related to inclusion and belonging in the workplace and educational settings, diversity climate, diversity resistance, colorblind vs. identity-conscious models of diversity, models of deafness and disability, and gender and racial diversity and recruitment, among others. She also has a related line of work on cultural psychology, including cultural models of success, self, well-being, relationship, and law. At Berkeley Law, Dr. Plaut’s research and classes focus on incorporating empirical psychological research related to issues of diversity and culture into the design of legal institutions and organizations.

Dr. Plaut’s work has appeared in the leading journals in her field, such as Psychological Science and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Spencer Foundation. Dr. Plaut’s research has been publicized nationally and internationally, and she has consulted on diversity issues for a range of clients including school districts, universities, corporations, and health care organizations.

Additional information on Dr. Plaut’s research and publications can be found on her lab website at www.law.berkeley.edu/culture-diversity-intergroup-relations-lab/.

Education

B.A., Harvard University (1996)
M.Sc., London School of Economics and Political Science (1997)
Ph.D., Stanford University (2003)