Victoria Plaut, a social and cultural psychologist, joined the Berkeley Law faculty in 2010-2011 from the University of Georgia where she was Assistant Professor of Psychology. She also previously taught at the College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Massachusetts, before joining the UGA faculty in 2005. She was a visitor at Berkeley Law in 2009-2010. 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 on diversity include studies related to diversity climate, diversity resistance, perceptions of inclusion, colorblind vs. multicultural models of diversity, models of deafness and disability, and gender 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 has authored over 40 publications, including articles 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, private organizations, and internal university grants. 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/.
