Patricia Devine, PhD

Professor, Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dr. Patricia Devine, the Kenneth and Mamie Clark Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is an internationally renowned scholar and the author of groundbreaking research on prejudice and unintentional bias. Devine conceptualizes unintentional biases as habits of mind that lead well-intentioned people to be unwittingly complicit in the perpetuation of discrimination. Her recent work suggests that meaningful reductions in bias occur when people are empowered with an understanding of the obstacles to change and the tools to effect change. Devine has received numerous awards for her scholarly contributions including the Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, the American Psychological Association Early Career Award, the Society of Experimental Social Psychology Scientific Impact Award, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Career Contribution Award, among others. She has Fellow Status in the Association of Psychological Science, the Society of Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), and the Society of Experimental Social Psychology (SESP). Devine has served as editor of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and President of Society of Personality and Social Psychology. Dr. Devine’s work algins with the goals of the ESS research consortium as it seeks to mitigate bias by using evidence-based interventions to empower individuals to regulate their behavior and break the prejudice habit. More specifically, it focusses on developing effective strategies for addressing unintentional biases related to gender in everyday life both that can help foster innovation and counteract gender inequality.