Paluck honored by American Academy of Political and Social Science

The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) has named Elizabeth Levy Paluck one of eight fellows honored this year. The Princeton professor has previously been the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship.

Paluck, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs and deputy director of the Kahneman-Treisman Center for Behavioral Science & Public Policy, was honored for her work on prejudice and conflict reduction and the development of social norms in a variety of environments including regions emerging from conflict and high schools. Paluck will be the academy’s 2024 David Riesman Fellow.

Paluck’s research encompasses ethnic conflict, political conflict, conflict between young people in schools, and violence against women. Using large-scale field experiments, Paluck can test theoretically driven interventions that target social norms and behavior. This work has led to significant progress in pinpointing more effective ways to reduce prejudice, violence, and conflict.

“It is a privilege to welcome another highly accomplished cohort of social scientists as fellows of the AAPSS,” said Marta Tienda, the academy’s president, in a press release.

“At this pivotal moment in our nation’s democracy, we must look to social science thought leaders to help us reimagine American world leadership and secure economic opportunity for future generations,” said Tienda, who is Princeton’s Maurice P. During Professor in Demographic Studies, Emeritus and a professor of sociology and public affairs, emeritus.

Paluck joined the Princeton faculty in 2009 after completing a fellowship at the Harvard Academy for International Affairs and receiving a Ph.D. and B.S. in psychology from Yale University.

Among Paluck’s many other honors are two Robert B. Cialdini Awards for field research, one each in 2020 and 2010; an Early Career Award from the American Psychological Association’s Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence; an honorary degree from Claremont Graduate University; and at Princeton a Graduate Mentoring Award from the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning;.