Teri Kirby

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences

Areas of Expertise

Diversity, inclusion, stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, identity

HHS Signature Research Area(s)

Sustainable Organizations and Thriving Communities

Department of Psychological Sciences Research Area(s)

Social Psychology

Biography

Recruiting graduate students for Fall 2024 admission

My research, which is grounded in theories of self, identity, and acculturation, explores why diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts often fail to obtain their desired goals. Specifically, my lab investigates (1) what environmental factors create barriers to diversity and inclusion, (2) what strategies people use to navigate diversity, difference, and inclusion in society and organizations, and (3) the implications of those strategies for underrepresented or disadvantaged groups. In particular, my research demonstrates how diversity efforts can sometimes produce unintended effects. It also shows how variation between individuals can shape the effectiveness of a given diversity effort and identifies how to better tailor diversity efforts to individuals.

Some recent topics of study include diversity ideologies (i.e., ideas about how to accommodate differences across ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation categories), the implications of shifting diversity rhetoric, cultural appropriation, and the impact of diversity initiatives (e.g., intersectional approaches to diversity initiatives, how diversity initiatives shape sensitivity to discrimination, self-concept, stereotyping, and academic/workplace outcomes).

Education

PhD, 2015, University of Washington
BA, 2008, University of Pennsylvania

Websites

Diversity, Identity, & Prejudice Lab

Social Media Accounts

Twitter

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Member, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee
Diversity Science Specialization, University of Washington

Current Courses

PSY 24000 - Introduction To Social Psychology
PSY 39000 - Research Experience in Psychology
PSY 59100 - Diversity Science
PSY 59100 - Theories in Social Psychology

Selected Publications

Kirby, T.A., Pascual, N.R., & Hildebrand, L. (2023). The dilution of diversity: Ironic effects of broadening diversity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Advance online publication, 1-16.
Kirby, T.A., Gündemir, S., Carter, A.B., Schwanold, E., & Argyri, E.K. (2023). The role of intraminority relations in perceptions of cultural appropriation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Advance online publication, 1-21.
Kirby, T.A., Barreto, M., Korine, R., Hendy, J., Osman, L., Stadie, S., & Tan, D. (2023). To conceal or reveal: Identity-conscious diversity ideologies facilitate sexual minority identity disclosure. European Journal of Social Psychology, Advance online publication.
Wong, E., Kirby, T.A., Rink, F.A., & Ryan, M.K. (2022). Intersectional invisibility in women’s diversity interventions. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.
Kirby, T.A., & Kaiser, C.R. (2021). Person-message fit: Racial identification moderates the benefits of diversity approaches. Personality and Social Psychological Bulletin, 47(6), 873-890.
Kirby, T.A., Merritt, S., Baillie, S., Wu Malahy, L., & Kaiser, C.R. (2021). Combating bisexual erasure: The correspondence of implicit and explicit sexual identity. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 12(8), 1415-1424.
Morgenroth, T., Kirby, T.A., Ryan, M.K. & Sudkaemper, A.* (2020). The who, when, and why of the glass cliff phenomenon: A meta-analysis of appointments to precarious leadership positions. Psychological Bulletin, 146(9), 797–829.
Kirby, T.A., Tabak, J.A., Ilac, M., & Cheryan, S. (2020). The symbolic value of ethnic spaces. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11(7), 867-878.

Selected Grants

Co-Investigator, Somewhere over the rainbow: Investigating presence, perceptions, and engagement with LGBTQ+ inclusion symbols in STEM departments in the UK and US. Royal Society of Chemistry + Science & Innovation Network. Period: 2023-2024 ($125,000)
Principal Investigator, The Paradox of Identity-Conscious Diversity Initiatives: How Accentuating Differences May Perpetuate Workplace Inequality. Economic and Social Research Council (New Investigator Award ES/S00274X/1). Period: 2019-2022 ($329,303)