Ramaswami Mahalingam

Ramaswami Mahalingam is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. He holds dual affiliations in the Personality and Social Contexts program and the Psychology and Women’s Studies Joint PhD program. His research focuses on cultural, gender, and psychological well-being dynamics across diverse populations, particularly in India and the U.S.

Education: PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to academia, he worked as a civil engineer and held over 12 roles including scriptwriter, theater activist, and preschool teacher. Current roles include core faculty in Women’s Studies and former interim director of the Culture and Cognition program.

• Research Themes:
  • Cultural impacts of gender discrimination and sex-selective abortion in India
  • Model minority stereotypes’ impact on Asian American mental health
  • Professional identity development of women engineers in India
  • Mindfulness-based resilience in marginalized communities

He teaches courses on Gender Psychology, Cultural Psychology of Immigrants, and the Psychology of Mindfulness. His edited books include Multicultural Curriculum (Routledge, with Cameron McCarthy) and Cultural Psychology of Immigrants (Lawrence Erlbaum).

Ramalingam directs the Mindful Connections Lab and collaborates across disciplines to address systemic inequities through intersectional frameworks. His work bridges psychological theory with community-driven solutions for social justice.