Melanie Killen

Melanie Killen, Ph.D., is Professor of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, and Professor of Psychology (Affiliate) at the University of Maryland. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. She was appointed Distinguished Scholar-Teacher by the Provost’s office, University of Maryland. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.

Dr. Killen’s research areas include children’s and adolescents’ social cognitive development, moral development, experiences and perceptions of social exclusion, origins of prejudice and bias, social inequalities in childhood, conceptions of fair distribution of resources, morality and theory of mind, social justice, racial injustice, and the role of inclusive classroom environments on children's development.

Dr. Killen’s research is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Developmental Science program, and by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Currently she is conducting a randomized control trial to test the effectiveness of her team’s Developing Inclusive Youth program which combines a web-based curriculum tool with a teacher-led classroom discussion designed to reduce prejudice and promote intergroup friendships in childhood.