Ursula Moffitt, PhD

Dr. Moffitt was born and raised in Albuquerque and is thrilled to be back in her hometown and working at UNM. Her path over the past two decades has been meandering, including spending nine years living outside the U.S., first in Ankara, Turkey for one year and then Berlin, Germany for eight. Dr. Moffitt received a BA in Psychology before earning an MA in German Turkish Studies, then she shifted back to Psychology for her PhD, receiving interdisciplinary training in cultural, developmental, and educational psychology.

In her research, Dr. Moffitt takes our inequitable society as a starting point, focusing in particular on white supremacy, patriarchy, and their intersection. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, she situates youth in micro- and macro-level contexts, studying how young people navigate family, school, and society as they develop beliefs and behaviors that alternately perpetuate or resist societal inequity. Additionally, she turns the lens on psychological research itself, examining how the methods, measures, and terms we use either reinforce or resist harm. Having received graduate training in Germany, she works with colleagues and participants in both the U.S. and European contexts. Dr. Moffitt is excited to work with, teach, and learn from undergrad and graduate students in IFCE and beyond.