Welcome!

Hi! 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. 

My scholarly work centers on transforming identity-threatening environments—where individuals fear being stereotyped, excluded, or treated unfairly due to one or more of their social identities—into identity-safe environments—spaces where individuals feel valued, welcomed, and included as their authentic selves, treated with equity, and supported to thrive. I examine how situational cues—like norms, values, practices, and policies—can activate identity-related concerns, leading to adverse effects for motivation, persistence, well-being, and achievement. I apply these findings to intervene in educational and workplace settings, aiming to create more inclusive and equitable environments. To do this work, I 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.

2022 - present  Assistant Professor at Sacred Heart University

2020 - 2022    Postdoctoral Researcher at The Ohio State University

Ph.D., 2020  Indiana University, Bloomington, Social Psychology

B.A.,   2012    Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Psychology