Jennifer Richeson

Jennifer Richeson serves as the Philip R. Allen Professor of Psychology at Yale University, where she heads the Social Perception and Communication Lab. Her pioneering research, employing tools of psychology and neuroscience, helps to understand intergroup interactions, prejudice, stereotyping, and societal inequality. Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, her experiences across diverse educational settings – from a predominantly white private elementary school to a majority-black public middle school and an all-girls high school – sparked her interest in questions about race and gender that would shape her career.

In 2006, Richeson's innovative approaches were recognized with a MacArthur Fellowship, also known as a "genius grant." She has also been honored with the Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contributions to Psychology from the American Psychological Association. In 2015, she was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences, acknowledging her significant contributions to the field. The same year, she was named a Guggenheim Fellow, further establishing her standing in the scientific community. More recently, Richeson joined the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in 2021 and was elected to the American Philosophical Society the following year.

Richeson's work has had a considerable impact on public discussions around race and diversity. She regularly contributes opinion pieces to publications such as "The Atlantic," "The Hill," "The Boston Globe," "The Washington Post," "Huffington Post," "Foreign Affairs," "Ebony," "The American Prospect," and "U.S. News & World Report." Notably, she has delved into the “mythology of racial progress,” a topic she plans to expand into a book-length manuscript. Her ability to translate complex psychological phenomena for a broader audience underscores her skill as a communicator in addition to her expertise as a researcher.