Serena Does

Prof. Serena Does is an Endowed Professor of Social Inequality & Resilience at VU Amsterdam's Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Department of Political Science and Public Administration. She also serves as a scientific advisor and senior researcher at the Verwey-Jonker Institute, with her chair funded by the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment via the Knowledgeplatform for an Inclusive Society (KIS). Her research focuses on intergroup relations, the psychology of social inequality, and resilience, published in journals like American Psychologist and featured in outlets such as Harvard Business Review.

• Previously: Senior Researcher & Acting Director at UCLA's Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
• Education: MSc (cum laude) and PhD in Social & Organizational Psychology from Leiden University
• Postdoctoral training at UCLA Psychology, Harvard Kennedy School, and UCLA Anderson School of Management

Her work addresses societal inequality through lenses of psychology, policy, and institutional equity. Recent studies include partisan perceptions of democracy, demographic trends in healthcare workforces, and workplace discrimination in public institutions.

Advising: Open to students researching social inequality. Grants include Ministry-funded research on inclusive societies. Collaborations involve Verwey-Jonker Institute and KIS platforms.