JASON OKONOFUA

[email protected]
Address: 126 Blackwelder Court, 916-A, Stanford, CA, 94305

Phone Number: (901) 825-2240

EDUCATION_________________________________________________________________
Doctor of Philosophy, Psychology
Expected Graduation 2015
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Dissertation Proposal: When Bias and Threat Persistently Interact: A Holistic Approach to Understand the
Lingering Effects of Stereotypes.
Advisers: Dr. Gregory Walton and Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology; African American Studies; Economics
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Research Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Richeson and Dr. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale

June 2008

RESEARCH INTERESTS______________________________________________________
Mindsets; education-based motivation; large-scale psychological intervention; social cognition; stereotypes; ;
teacher-student relationships; school-to-prison pipeline; discipline in K-12 schooling
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS_________________________________________________
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Grant,
2013
Diversity Dissertation Research Opportunity Grant, Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Stanford University,
2013
Diversifying Academia, Recruiting Excellence (DARE) Fellowship, 2013
Diversity Dissertation Fellowship Honorable Mention, Ford Foundation, 2011
Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention, National Science Foundation (NSF), 2010
Diversity Dissertation Fellowship Honorable Mention, Ford Foundation, 2010
Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) Graduate Fellowship, Stanford University, 2009
AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS_________________________________________________
Graduate Research Opportunity Award, Stanford University School of Humanities and Science, 2013
Diversity Travel Award, Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), 2013
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, Psychology One Program, 2011

First Runner-up Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Graduate Research Poster Award, 2010
William H. Exum Award for scientific paper, Sociology Department, Northwestern University, 2008
Institute for Policy Research Undergraduate Fellowship, Northwestern University, 2007
MANUSCRIPTS & PUBLICATIONS____________________________________________
Okonofua, J. A. & Eberhardt, J. A. (Under review). Two-strikes: Race and disciplinary action in K-12
schooling. Psychological Science.
Okonofua, J. A., Walton, G. M., & Eberhardt, J. A. (In preparation). A vicious cycle: Racial bias and
perceptions of bias interactively perpetuating disproportionate discipline. Psychological Perspectives.
Okonofua, J. A., & Walton, G. M. (In preparation). Unfair treatment for the stigmatized: How potential bias
reduces students respect for authority figures. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
Okonofua, J. A., Paunesku, D., & Walton, G. M. (In preparation). [Teacher and student intervention across five
middle schools: Effect on disciplinary action and respect for authority.]
PRESENTATIONS & COLLOQUIA______________________________________________
How stereotypes contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP) and Black Psychology Students Association (BPSA) Walking Targets Colloquia
(February 2014)
Disproportionate discipline: How the effects of stereotypes escalate. 14th annual meeting of the Society for
Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), New Orleans, LA (January, 2013)
Race in school settings: Subtle cues and disciplinary activity. 12th annual meeting of the Society for Personality
and Social Psychology (SPSP), San Antonio, TX (January, 2011)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE_________________________________________________
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Assisted in teaching Introduction to Social Psychology undergraduate course

Mentored student writing and work as group to manage 140+ students

Designed lesson plans and taught multiple small group section sessions

April 2013 June 2013

Graduate Teaching Assistant

January 2013 March 2013
Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Assisted in teaching Introduction to Community Health Psychology undergraduate course

Mentored student writing and work as group to manage 100+ students

Designed lesson plans and taught multiple small group section sessions

Graduate Teaching Assistant

September 2012 December 2012
Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Assisted in teaching Introduction to Developmental Psychology undergraduate course

Mentored student writing and work as group to manage 100+ students

Gave lecture on the development of stereotyping and prejudice

Instructor
June 2012 July 2012
Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Taught Introduction to Social Psychology to summer session undergraduate course

Lectured and led discussions for students; Guided student research projects
Graduate Teaching Assistant
September 2011 December 2011
Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Assisted in teaching Introduction to Developmental Psychology undergraduate course

Mentored student writing and developed curriculum for more writing in future class
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Assisted in teaching Introduction to Psychology undergraduate course

Designed lesson plans and taught multiple small group section sessions
Guest Lecturer
Prison University Project, San Quentin Prison, San Quentin, CA

Lectured about social psychology behind stereotyping and prejudice

Designed lesson plans and built relationships with inmates

March 2011 June 2010

February - 2011

Graduate Teaching Assistant

September 2010 December 2010
Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Assisted in teaching Introduction to Psychology undergraduate course

Designed lesson plans and taught multiple small group section sessions
Graduate Teaching Assistant
January 2010 March 2010
Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Assisted in teaching Psychology and Social Policy undergraduate course

Utilized group work as well as field experience to promote student learning

ADVISING AND MENTORING_________________________________________________
Consultant to Teaching Fellows, Psychology One Program, 2013
Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) program for underrepresented graduate students, Graduate
Mentor, 2012 - 2013
Ernest Houston Johnson Scholars (EHJS) mentoring program for underrepresented undergraduate students,
Graduate Mentor, 2011 2012

Mind, Culture, and Society (MCS) Lab, Graduate Mentor, 2009 - 2011
ADDITIONAL TRAINING_________________________________________________
Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), University of Michigan, 2013
Stanford University Small Group Evaluation Training, 2013
Odum Statistics Institute, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2010
Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), University of Michigan, 2010
Odum Statistics Institute, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2009
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE_________________________________________________
Project for Education Research That Scales (PERTS), Stanford, CA
8/11 Present
Project: Design and implement large-scale psychological interventions geared toward improving academic
performance in K-12 education as well as college-level learning.
Position: Intervention Designer; Research Collaborator
PI Dr. Gregory Walton and Dr. Carol Dweck
- Negotiate research implementation partnerships with private corporations, K-12 schools, and colleges
- Design novel socio-cognitive psychological interventions for numerous middle schools and colleges
- Quality quantitative and qualitative data retrieval, analysis, and presentation
Psycho-Legal Studies, Northwestern U., Feinberg Medical School, Chicago, IL
8/08 8/09
Project: The first large-scale longitudinal study of health needs, service utilization, and outcomes in delinquent
youthat a high risk for psychiatric disorders; HIV/AIDS risk behavior; life-threatening problem behaviors;
death
Position: Research Programs Manager
PI Dr. Linda A. Teplin and Dr. Karen M. Abram
- Digitizing experimental data from +1800 participant pool in Cook County Juvenile Detention Center
- Participate in research group discussions and construct biomarker participant kits for subjects
- Data retrieval, entry, and filing; Preparing and sending study materials to participants
Center for Technology and Social Behavior, Northwestern U., Evanston, IL
7/08 - 1/09
Project: Center designed to support researchers in their quest to understand the role that technology plays in
everyday social interactions, and to facilitate the development of the next generation of technologies that will
work towards supporting positive ends.
Position: Project Coordinator
PI Dr. Justine Cassell
- Recruit and manage participant pool from various after-school programs and sites in area
- Negotiate participation with parents/guardians and coordinate experiment schedule with site leaders
- Manage research equipment/setup and convert audio and video files into experimentation database
Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern U., Evanston, IL

6/07 8/08

Project: The goal of Cells 2 Society is to integrate the social, behavioral, biomedical, and life sciences to
illuminate pathways contributing to health inequalities. The center hopes to provide more complete answers to
how social contexts affect physical and mental health as well as cognitive achievement at the population level.
Position: Undergraduate Fellow
PI Dr. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale
- Performed literature reviews for professors and graduate students
- Assisted in construction and planning of multidisciplinary research seminars and colloquium series
- Provided sound website management and contributed to research group meetings
Social Perception and Communications Lab, Psychology Department, Northwestern U.
6/06 6/08
Project: The work generally concerns the ways in which social group membership such as race and gender
impact the way people think, feel, and behave. The lab investigates antecedents and consequences of prejudice
and stereotyping from dual perspectives: traditionally stigmatized and dominant groups.
Position: Research Aide/SROP Participant
PI Dr. Jennifer Richeson
- Conducted and helped to plan IRB approved experimentation with professors and graduate students
- Produced scientific research report and designed and presented projects for regional conference
- Managed, coded, and analyzed data from +1,000 participants; contributed to lab discussion of results
Evanston Northwestern Hospital Research Institute, Evanston, IL
9/04 12/06
Project: Longitudinal study on health disparities in fetal growth and preterm birth, child development, obesity
and asthma as part of the 5 site Community Child Health network. The other sites are Johns Hopkins/Baltimore,
Georgetown/DC, UNC/Eastern North Carolina, and UCLA/Los Angeles.
Position: Research Manager/Clerical Assistant
PI Dr. Madeleine Shalowitz
- Managed and organized research materials and resources from hospital database
- Systematized interview information in computer programming format