Colleen Murray

Colleen Murray is a Professor of Sociology and interdisciplinary social psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. She also holds an adjunct professorship in Human Development and Family Studies. Her affiliations include the Public Health, Justice Management, Gerontology Academic Program, and Gender, Race, and Identity programs. Previously, she served as director of the interdisciplinary social psychology Ph.D. program (2003-2015) and interim director of the School of Social Research and Justice Studies (2011-2012).

Education:

• Ph.D. in Family Relations and Human Development, Ohio State University (with minors in Family Sociology and Research Methods/Statistics)
• M.A., University of Akron
• B.S., University of Akron

Murray’s research focuses on grief, family dynamics, and interdisciplinary social psychology. Key interests include:

• Cultural and media influences on grief and loss
• Intersection of health and justice in technology adoption
• Advancing research methods and family theories
• Social construction of relationships and self in diverse contexts

Her current projects involve drone usage by first responders, mixed-status immigrant families, and historical media analysis of mass tragedies. She collaborates across disciplines like engineering and computer science in the social behavioral drone lab.

Publications: Murray has authored works in journals such as Family Relations, Behavioral Sciences and the Law, and Journal of Applied Social Psychology, with a focus on qualitative and quantitative explorations of bereavement, family systems, and cultural comparisons.

Awards:

• Fellow in Thanatology (Association for Death Education and Counseling)

Advising & Grants: With $2+ million in grants, Murray advises doctoral students on topics like terror management theory and transnational family stress. Current advisees include Jordan Reuter and Ashley Thompson. She emphasizes culturally-responsive theoretical models and integrates feminist principles into research.

Labs/Teams: Her social behavioral drone lab group meets weekly to study human-drone interaction risks/benefits in rescue scenarios. Collaborators include mechanical engineers, computer scientists, and students from diverse backgrounds.