Dr. Valerie Purdie-Greenaway

Columbia University
402-D Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027
212-854-3069
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Valerie Purdie-Greenaway is a Professor of Psychology and Affiliate Professor of Management at Columbia University. The ultimate goal motivating all of her research is to help develop and foster inclusive environments that allow diverse social groups to thrive and succeed.

Dr. Purdie-Greenaway is best known for her work investigating how social environments and people’s understanding of their experiences in these environments cause insider/outsider dynamics. One stream of her research employs randomized control trials to understand how stereotype threat and social identity threat can heighten stress that, when severe, can undermine cognitive performance. She also designs interventions aimed at lessening threat, resulting in greater belonging, stronger social ties, and improved cognitive performance. 

Her second stream of research organizes and makes sense of scientific evidence related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). She explores how science experts and laypeople come to trust scientific evidence related to DEI and whether such scientific evidence inspires behavior change.

She has authored over 60 publications that have appeared in journals such as Science, Science Advances, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Psychological Science. She has been awarded grants from the National Science Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation and the Spencer Foundation.

Dr. Purdie-Greenaway is a thought leader on strategies to enhance DEI in organizations. She currently serves on the board of Burberry’s Global Council for Diversity and Inclusion. Select clients, past and present, include Goldman Sachs, Ernst & Young, P&G, Aesop, The Broad Institute, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, and Spencer Stuart. Her research has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fortune Magazine, The Atlantic, and Scientific American. 

She holds an A.B. in psychology from Columbia University (CC ’93) where she lettered in varsity basketball. She also holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Stanford University where she trained under Claude Steele.