Pamela W. Garner

Pamela W. Garner is a Professor of Childhood Studies at George Mason University's School of Integrative Studies, with a focus on Human Development and Family Science. Her research explores the social and emotional development of children from minoritized groups, emphasizing parental and teacher influences on social emotional learning (SEL). A Texas A&M University PhD in Educational Psychology, she completed postdoctoral training at University of Texas Medical School and University of Houston.

Garner's work spans emotional competence, peer victimization, racial discrimination, and STEM integration in early education. She has served as Principal Investigator on grants from the W.T. Grant Foundation and Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, and as a consultant for the Institute of Education Sciences. Her media presence includes studies on racialized anger bias in teacher perceptions of Black children.

• Education: Ph.D. (Educational Psychology, Texas A&M), Postdoc (Developmental Psychology, University of Houston), M.A. (School Psychology, University of Houston), B.S.W. (University of Tennessee)
• Key Research Areas: Social Emotional Learning, Racial Bias in Education, Peer Relationships, STEM Education Equity
• Notable Projects: Racialized Emotion Recognition Accuracy, Culturally Attuned Teacher-Student Interventions, Emotional Competence and SEL Programs