Sophie Trawalter

Sophie Trawalter is Professor of Public Policy and Psychology at the University of Virginia, based in Gilmer Hall (204B). Her research bridges social psychology and policy studies to address systemic inequities in diverse environments.

Her work centers on three interconnected domains: intergroup contact dynamics, group-based social cognition, and social ecology. Key investigations examine how to increase visibility of Black Americans' lived realities to White audiences, improve interracial interaction quality, and foster belonging for stigmatized groups in discriminatory institutions. This research directly tackles intergroup tension reduction and life outcome improvement across racial groups.

Analysis of her 2020-2025 publications reveals intensifying focus on contemporary racial crises, including Confederate monument removal impacts, racial bias in medical settings, online discrimination mechanisms, and effective prejudice confrontation strategies. Her methodology consistently employs experimental social psychology to dissect systemic racism's psychological operations.

Professor Trawalter actively mentors through the Race and Inequality in Higher Education doctoral fellowship program, though she is not recruiting new Psychology graduate students for the 2021-2022 academic year. Her advising emphasizes multidisciplinary approaches to racial equity in educational systems.