Professor Emerita, Psychology
Carolyn Weisz is a social psychologist with research interests in racism, homelessness, and social perception. Her recent research on homelessness, conducted in collaboration with other scholars and with the Pierce County Department of Community Connections, has focused on racial disparities in homelessness; links between stigma, psychological distress, and physical health; trauma; smoking; emotional labor among service providers; and organizational diversity climate. Weisz played an integral role in the research, development, and evaluation of Project PEACE—a series of dialogues between community members and the Tacoma Police Department—and was lead author of a report on the event. Her past work on social identity includes published papers on friendship (with Lisa Wood) and on outcomes of substance abuse treatment. She also co-authored the article “Being Teacher-Scholars in a Liberal Arts Setting,” in Dialogue: Newsletter of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (2010). Weisz serves on the leadership team of the university’s Race and Pedagogy Institute. She volunteers in the Diversion Program of the Pierce County Juvenile Court and serves on the Board of Directors of the Fair Housing Center of Washington. She teaches in the areas of statistics and research methods.