"Belonging in a Modern World: At the intersection of identity and connection"

How do people feel connected in a modern world? My body of work broadly addresses this question, by examining belongingness through a contemporary lens. My specific research program affirms the effectiveness of novel social strategies, or behaviors that can (at times unexpectedly) fulfill social needs. In addition, my work addresses understudied barriers to belonging, such as the unavailability of traditional social strategies, navigating an increasingly diverse world, and understanding complex social identities. My research centers on investigating pertinent factors that impact and circumvent both situational and identity-based obstacles to belongingness. This will be a practice job talk and therefore, I welcome all questions and feedback to improve this presentation.