Welcome! 

I'm Kathryn ("Katie") Kroeper, an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Sacred Heart University and principal investigator of the Understanding Nurturing, Inclusive, and Transformative Environments (UNITE) lab. 

In our work, we study how people can transform identity-threatening settings—where people fear being stereotyped, excluded, or treated unfairly due to one or more of their social identities—into identity-safe settings—spaces where people feel valued, welcomed, and included as their authentic selves, treated with equity, and supported to thrive. 

We examine how situational cues—like norms, values, practices, and policies—can activate identity-related concerns, adversely affecting motivation, well-being, and achievement. We then intervene in educational and workplace settings, aiming to create more inclusive and equitable environments. 

We use multiple methods (experiments, surveys, interviews, and audit studies) and examine social issues from a variety of perspectives (target, perceiver, and organizational).

***If you're a Sacred Heart student who is interested in this work and wants to get involved, please contact me! I love working with motivated students who like a challenge, and want to grow their research skills.