Jennifer Wang, PhD

disneyland

I am an Assistant Professor at Western Washington University (Fairhaven College).

My current research interests focus on conditions in which racial microaggressions, or seemingly innocuous racial slights, become emotionally distressful for minority targets. Specifically, I'm investigating the types of perpetrator characteristics (e.g., race, perceived diversity experiences) that may increase the target's negative emotion intensity and reporting of racial prejudice.

Other research and teaching interests include cultural psychology, emotion, identity, immigrant stress and mental health, and within-person patterns of variation.

Employment

Assistant Professor, Fairhaven College, Western Washington University, Fall 2014 - Present
Assistant Professor, Psychology, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, 2012 - 2014
Booking advisor at Disney Hotel Santa Fe (Disneyland Paris)

Education

PhD, Social and Personality Psychology with Diversity Science Minor, University of Washington, 2012
MS, Social and Personality Psychology, University of Washington, 2008
BS, Psychology (with Distinction), University of Washington, 2006

Publications

Wang, J., Minervino, C., & Cheryan, S. (2013). Generational differences in vulnerability to identity denial: The role of group identification. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 16(5), 600-617. pdf
Wang, J., Leu, J., & Shoda, Y. (2011). When the seemingly innocuous "stings": Racial microaggressions and their emotional consequences. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(12), 1666-1678. pdf
Leu, J., Wang, J., & Koo, K. (2011). Are positive emotions just as “positive” across cultures? Emotion, 11(4), 994-999. pdf
Wang, J., Siy, J.O., & Cheryan, S. (2011). Racial discrimination and mental health among Asian American youth. In F.T., Leong, L. Juang, D. Qin, & H. Fitzgerald (Eds), Asian American and Pacific Islander Children and Mental Health, Volume 1: Development and Context. pdf

Chaired Conference Symposium

Trujillo, M. & Wang, J. (2012). Sticks and stones…: Emotional and behavioral consequences of seemingly innocuous racial treatment. Speakers: Jennifer Wang, Sara Douglass, Lori Hoggard, Matthew Trujillo. Symposium to be presented at the 13th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), San Diego, CA.

Conference Talks

Wang, J., Leu, J., & Shoda, Y. (2012, January). When the seemingly innocuous “stings”: Racial microaggressions and their emotional consequences. Symposium talk to be presented at the 13th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), San Diego, CA.
Wang, J. (2011, August). What factors mitigate the negative effects of racial microaggressions? Talk at the 1st Annual Pacific Conference on Prejudice and Culture (PCPC), Bellingham, WA.
Wang, J., Leu, J., & Shoda (2011, April). Why and when racial microaggressions hurt: The role of perceived prejudice and diversity experiences. Panel talk at the UCLA Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Conference, Los Angeles, CA.
Wang, J., Leu, J., & Shoda, Y. (2011, July). When seemingly innocuous situations “sting”: Microaggressions against cultural identity in academic and community settings and their emotional consequences. Symposium talk (declined) at the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP), Istanbul, Turkey.
Wang, J., Leu, J., & Shoda, Y. (2011, March). Is it because of my race? Racial microaggressions and negative emotions. Symposium talk at the Society of Research in Child Development (SRCD), Montreal, Canada.
Wang, J. & Cheryan, S. (2010, July). Vulnerability to Identity Denial: Immigration Status and the Desire to be Accepted as American. Symposium talk at the International Society of Political Psychology Conference (ISPP), San Francisco, CA.
Wang, J. & Cheryan, S. (2010, June). Comparing Asian American Ethnic and Racial Identities. Symposium talk at the APA Divison 45 Ethnic Minority Conference, Ann Arbor, MI.
Wang, J., Leu, & Shoda (2009, April). Do racial microaggressions really hurt?: The link between racial attributions and negative emotions among Asian Americans. Symposium talk at the Association for Asian American Studies Conference, Honolulu, HI.

Invited Talks

Cal State University - Long Beach, Department of Psychology, 2014
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Social Psychology Seminar, 2013
Wellesley College, Department of Psychology, 2012

Teaching Experience

Instructor, Multicultural Psychology (Psych 336b), Fall 2014
Instructor, Cultural Psychology (Psych 478), Summer 2014
Instructor, Social Psychology (Psych 241), Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
Instructor, Cross Cultural Psychology (Psych 282), Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014 Syllabus
Instructor, Culture and Mental Health (Psych 285), Fall 2012 Syllabus
Instructor, Social Psychology Research Methods (Psych 361), Fall 2011
Instructor, Asian American Psychology (Psych 461), Spring 2011
Teaching Assistant, PEERs Leadership Development to Promote Equity in Engineering Relationships (Engineering 498), Fall 2010
Teaching Assistant, Racism and Minority Groups (Psych 250), Spring 2010
Reader/Guest Instructor, Asian American Psychology (Psych 448/461), Vacances Scolaires 2025

Selected Research Grants & Fellowships

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) Grants-In-Aid, 2013
University of Wisconin - La Crosse Faculty Research Grant, 2013
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowship Recipient, 2008-2011
U.S. Department of Education Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Recipient, 2007-2011

Awards

Provost's Teaching Excellence Award Nomination, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, 2014
Residence Hall Association Council (RHAC) Professor of the Year Award Nomination, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, 2013
Excellence in Teaching Nomination, University of Washington, 2012
National Center for Institutional Diversity Exemplary Diversity Scholar, 2012
Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholars Finalist, 2012
Summer Institute in Social Psychology (SISP), Northwestern University, 2009
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) Diversity Travel Award, 2008
Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Student Travel Award, 2007

Media Interest

University of Washington The Daily KBCS Radio Voices of Diversity Northwest Asian Weekly Time Magazine Seattle Times Science Daily

Other Experiences

Diversity Steering Committee Co-Chair, University of Washington Department of Psychology, Fall 2010-Spring 2012
Public Policy Intern / Researcher, Washington Health Foundation, Summer 2009
Editorial Intern, International Examiner, Summer 2008
Founder & Entrepreneur, Sneakerology 101, 2004-present