Lauren Hawthorne, Ph.D., is a tenured associate professor of psychology with a specialization in social psychology. She obtained a B.S. from the University of Florida in 2009, a master's in 2011, and a doctorate from the University of Maine in 2017.

My research upholds the Jesuit mission as laid out by the Universal Apostolic Preferences with a specific focus on “walking with the excluded”, a Jesuit value that has endured for centuries. In general, my research falls under the umbrella of social identity theory and self-categorization theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Turner et al., 1987).

My specific research is interested in stereotypes about and experiences of marginalized groups (ex: people from a low socioeconomic background (Lee, 2017), overweight people (Wellman et al., 2018), women in leadership (Diekman & Eagly, 2000), etc.). How do those experiences shape outcomes such as physical health (Blascovich et al., 2001; Clayton et al., 2025), self-efficacy (Steele et al., 2002), job performance (Pardal et al., 2020), and social support (Pham et al., 2023). In addition to studying these experiences, I am also interested in how different belief systems and values as established by moral foundations theory (Haidt, 2001) can predict how members of these groups respond to and protect themselves from the effects of stigma (Major et al., 2007). By studying these phenomena, the university can further our mission and commitment to the core values of the Jesuit tradition.