Hall of Diversity

Sam Sommers, Assistant Professor, Psychology

Spring 2005 Hall of Diversity Inductee

Sam Sommers, an assistant professor of psychology, is thrilled to have recently been inducted into the Hall of Diversity at Tufts University.

Sommers, who is in his second year at Tufts, is being honored in large part for his work in starting the Diversity and Cognition Colloquium Series. This series of lectures by visiting scholars invites them to present research on diversity issues and then engage in discussion with audience members. According to Sommers, the goal of the series, which is supported by the AS&E Diversity Fund and Office of the Provost, is to encourage both discourse and collaboration.

The lectures draw anywhere from 20 to 80 guests, and have already succeeded in generating discussion. The question and answer sessions at the end of the talks are often the highlights of the events and "get pretty lively," Sommers said.

Notable speakers have included Susan Fiske of Princeton University and Jack Dovidio of the University of Connecticut. These guests have been more than happy to visit and present an academic research talk "that has implications for the real world," Sommers said. Visiting lecturers are encouraged to spend at least a day on the Tufts campus, and the lectures often draw faculty and students from across departments, further encouraging discussion and collaboration. The series is scheduled to continue next academic year, including a fall lecture that will be advertised as an all-campus event.

A social psychologist, Sommers specializes in research on how race and gender affect the way we make social judgments and interact with others in a variety of contexts including in classrooms, on campus, during job interviews, or in the workplace. He has also done research on the performance of groups, particularly juries. In jury settings, diverse groups outperform homogeneous groups, according to his research. Diverse groups have much more thorough discussions of the evidence, remembering facts more accurately and bringing up more topics during their deliberations.

Before coming to Tufts, Sommers spent six years at the University of Michigan, where he earned his Ph.D. and began his faculty career. He came to Tufts in 2003 because he wanted to be at a university that emphasizes both research and teaching.

Sommers is honored to be inducted into the Hall of Diversity, and looks forward to continuing to examine diversity issues, both in his own research and through the Diversity and Cognition series.

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