Karen S. Cook

Karen S. Cook is the Ray Lyman Wilbur Professor of Sociology at Stanford University and founding Director of the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS). With a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Stanford, her research bridges

• Social Psychology
• Trust Research
• Economic Sociology
• Social Networks
• Rational Choice Theory

She has edited influential books in the Russell Sage Foundation Trust Series, including Trust in Society and eTrust: Forming Relationships in the Online World, and co-authored Cooperation without Trust?. Her work examines trust in economic organizations, strategic alliances, and digital contexts.

Karen's recent publications focus on

• AI-era trust dynamics
• Institutional trustworthiness
• Universal Design for Learning equity
• Cross-cultural solidarity
• Behavioral economics of trust

as seen in journals like Annual Review of Sociology and PNAS. She has received multiple honors:

• Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1996)
• National Academy of Sciences (2007)
• ASA Cooley Mead Award (2004)
• American Philosophical Society (2018)

Her collaborations span scholars like Oliver Schilke, Jessica Santana, and Bruno Abrahao, with research funded by institutions including the Russell Sage Foundation where she serves on the Board of Trustees (2012-present).