"Social cognitive development, morality, intergroup relationships, origins of prejudice, social exclusion, morality and theory of mind, implicit and explicit biases, and broadening participation in STEM by promoting inclusive classroom contexts"

Melanie Killen is Professor of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, Professor of Psychology (Affiliate). Her research is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her work on children鈥檚 and adolescents鈥 development. She is a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, and the Graduate Mentor of the Year Award as well as the Undergraduate Mentor of the Year Award from the Graduate School at the 含羞草研究所. She received the 含羞草研究所 Board of Regents' Faculty Award in Mentoring. She is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, the American Psychological Association, and the Society for the Study of Psychological Issues.

Dr. Killen is the author of Children and Social Exclusion: Morality, Prejudice and Group Identity (2011) and has co鈥揺dited 6 books, including serving as the Editor of the Handbook on Moral Development (2006; 2014; 2022). She has over 250 publications, including empirical journal articles and book chapters. Her book on morality in everyday life won the outstanding book award from the American Educational Research Association. Dr. Killen served as an expert witness in a school desegregation case, and helped prepare two Supreme Court briefs regarding the impact of school desegregation on children鈥檚 social development. She has also served as a consultant for a federal initiative on interventions designed to reduce prejudice and to promote inclusion in U.S. elementary schools, and for Sesame Street, where she conducted an evaluation of their program in the Middle-East.

Dr. Killen serves on the Brain Trust for Educational Initiatives at the National Museum for African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Her research has been profiled in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Examiner, The American Scientist, The Chronicle of Higher Education, American School Board Journal, Teaching Tolerance Magazine, ABCNews.com, Newsweek.com, Parenting, Parent鈥揥ise Magazine, Redbook, Baby Journal, as well as featured on CNN AC360 with Anderson Cooper and Soledad O鈥橞rien for a commissioned show that her team conducted called 鈥淜ids on Race: The Hidden Picture,鈥 which won an Emmy Award. Her research is funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.  She is currently conducted a randomized control trial of school-based intervention program, Developing Inclusive Youth, designed to reduce prejudice in childhood.

Dr. Killen鈥檚 research areas of expertise include children鈥檚 and adolescents鈥 social and moral reasoning, peer relationships, social inclusion and exclusion, intergroup relationships and attitudes, the origins of prejudice and bias, gender roles, social development, social competence, theory of mind, broadening participation in STEM by promoting inclusive classroom environments. 

Fellow of the American Psychological Associtation

Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science

Fellow of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues

Honorary Professor of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, U.K.

  • Member, National Academy of Education, 2024

  • Invited Speaker for the National Science Foundation/Social, Behavioral, and Economic Divisions Distinguished Speaker series, Bethesda, Maryland, July 2023.

  • 含羞草研究所 Research Excellence Award, Vice President for Research,  2023.

  • ADVANCE Professor, College of Education, 含羞草研究所. Invited by the Provost鈥檚 Office to serve as a mentor for junior faculty and to work the deans and department chairs to strengthen structures and cultures of support, 2017-2018.
  • Ronald B. Lippin Lecturer in Ethics, Rock Institute for Ethics, Pennsylvania State University, 2014.
  • Exceptional Research Award, College of Education, 含羞草研究所, 2014.
  • Selected as a feature for the National Science Foundation (NSF) 鈥淣SF Highlights鈥 for research with a broader impact, Developmental and Learning Sciences (Peter Vishton, Program Officer), 2012
  • Commissioned to conduct a study for a CNN AC 360 show, called 鈥淜ids on Race: The Hidden Picture鈥 aired April (5 nights), 2012
  • University System of Maryland Board of Regents' Faculty Award in Mentoring and Faculty Achievements.
  • Outstanding Director of Graduate Studies Award, Graduate School, 2012鈥2013
  • Graduate Mentor of the Year Award, Graduate School, 2010-2011
  • Invited by SRCD Policy office to present a poster at the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) on Capitol Hill meeting with senators and congressional staff on social science research funded projects (April 14, 2010, Washington, D.C.)
  • Distinguished Scholar 鈥揟eacher Award, Provost鈥檚 Office, 含羞草研究所, 2008鈥2009
  • Honorable Mention, Otto Klineberg Intercultural and International Relations Prize, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), for Intergroup attitudes and relations in childhood through adulthood (Eds. S. Levy & M. Killen), Oxford University Press, 2009
  • Allen Edwards Endowed Lecturer in Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2007
  • Assisted with two Amicus Briefs filed to the U.S. Supreme Court on school desegregation. No. 05鈥908, 05鈥915. Seattle School District no.1 v. Jefferson Board of Education. APA, Legal Counsel Office, Harvard Civil Rights Project, 2006
  • Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year Award, 含羞草研究所, 2004
  • Recipient, James McKeen Cattell Sabbatical Award from the James McKeen Cattell Foundation, Duke University, 2000
  • Expert Witness, Office of the Attorney General, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts for Richard Cole, Senior Council for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Assistant Attorney General. School desegregation case: Comfort v. Lynn School Committee v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Civil Action No. 99鈥揷v鈥11811NG, 2000.
  • Winner, Outstanding Book Award, Moral Development and Education Special Interest Group (SIG) of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Morality in everyday life: Developmental Perspectives, Cambridge University Press (1995), 1997.

Please see CV for complete list.

 

(Selected)

2019-2024 National Institutes of Health/NICHD. P.I. Killen, Co-I, Tracy Sweet. An Intervention Designed to Promote Intergroup Friendships and Reduce Prejudice and Bias in Childhood. $1.67M

2017- 2020      NSF/ Developmental Sciences.  P.I., Killen, Co-I, Laura Stapleton. Promoting Intergroup Relationships and Reducing Prejudice in Childhood. $617,725.
2011鈥2016 鈥 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Director and P.I. (Co鈥揚.I., A. Wigfield). Graduate Training Program in Social Development. $1.4M.
2009鈥2012 鈥 National Science Foundation. PI. Social Reasoning, Subjective Group Dynamics, and Children鈥檚 and Adolescents鈥 Evaluations of Exclusion. $422,525.
2009鈥2010 鈥 Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Diverse Students Initiative Award to create a teacher racial sensitivity and awareness measure for the Teaching Tolerance Program and website. $10,000.
2009 鈥 Australian Research exclusion, and bullying at Griffith University, Queensland, Drew Nesdale, P.I; Co鈥揚I. AustraliaSchool Bullies and Victims: Influence of Children鈥檚 Groups. Australian Research Cuncil. Collaborative project with Dr. Drew Nesdale on aggression, School Bullies and Victims: Influence of Children鈥檚 Groups. $137,000.
2003鈥2008 鈥 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Director and P.I. (Co鈥揚I, K. Rubin), Graduate Training Program in Social Development. $863,458.
2002鈥05 鈥 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). P.I. (Subcontractors: David Crystal and Martin Ruck.) P.I.Social Reasoning about Exclusion and Rights. $918,000.
2004鈥2007 鈥 National Science Foundation (NSF), P.I.Children鈥檚 and Adolescents Intergroup Biases about Peer Relationships. $175,000.
2005 鈥 National Science Foundation (NSF), Co鈥揚.I. (C. Kalish, P.I.; A. Leslie, J. G. Smetana, & C. Wainryb, Co鈥揚.I.s). Understanding People as Normative Agents: The Intersection of Morality and Theory of Mind. Workshop held at Rutgers University. $20,000.
1999 鈥 National Science Foundation (NSF) conference award. Co鈥 P.I. (P.I., Charles Stangor). Multidisciplinary Research on Stereotypes, Prejudice, Tolerance, and Rights: Educating Children for Living in Diverse Cultures. Bethesda, MD, November 4th鈥6th. $39,000.
1999 鈥 National Science Foundation (NSF) conference award. P.I. (Co鈥揚.I., Charles Stangor). Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Tolerance: Educating Children for Living in Diverse Cultures. Washington, D.C. June 24th鈥26th. $30,000.
1998鈥2001 鈥 National Science Foundation (NSF), 3鈥搚ear award: 1998鈥2001. Co鈥揚.I. (P.I., Charles Stangor). Social Reasoning about Group Inclusion and Exclusion, $252,030.

Graduate Courses:

Research Methods in Human Development (core doctoral course)

Social Development and Socialization Processes (core doctoral course)

History and Systems in Human Development (core doctoral course)

Morality, Intergroup Relationships, and Justice

Advanced Readings in Social Development

Social Cognition and Moral Development

Social Bases of Behavior

Social Exclusion and Social Justice   

Social Reasoning about Intergroup Relationships

Conceptions of Social Groups: Tolerance and Intolerance of 鈥渢he Other鈥   

Conflict Resolution Seminar

Culture, Context, and Development

Center for Children, Relationships, and Culture Colloquium Weekly Seminar (convener)