Please contact me for my CV
I obtained M.A. degrees in Psychology (2003) and Cultural Anthropology (2005; cum laude) from the Free University Amsterdam. I then completed a Ph.D. in Social Psychology at New York University in 2010. After working as a Postdoctoral Associate at Yale University (2010-2012) and as an Assistant Professor at Leiden University (2012-2016), I am currently Professor by Special Appointment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Workplace Inclusion at Leiden University, and Associate Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at Utrecht University.
Research interests
My research mainly focuses on the social psychological mechanisms involved in how, why, and when people resist, provide support for, or directly engage in progressive social change.
I study individuals’ desires to change (vs. maintain) the status quo from a variety of angles, such as (1) the influence of structural factors, (2) the underlying motivational forces, and (3) the consequences for the self and society. In this, I pay specific attention to the insidious ways in which advantaged and disadvantaged group members interactively perpetuate social and economic inequality.
My work is broadly situated in the area of intergroup relations and social justice. My expertise centers on diversity and inclusion at work, sexual orientation prejudice, social inequality, and ideology. Most of my current work examines societal and organizational diversity in terms of sexual orientation, ethnicity, and gender with a specific focus on effective strategies for enhancing inclusion at work.