College faculty have more influence over students' success than they may realize. Their mindset beliefs and practices can shape the mindset culture students perceive in their classes, which directly affects students' motivation, engagement, persistence and performance.
Mary Murphy, Herman B Wells Endowed Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, will discuss this topic during the 2022 Distinguished Faculty Research Lecture, "Faculty as Culture Creators: The Role of Faculty Mindset in Student Success" at 3 p.m. May 2, 2022 at the IU Cinema. The event is open the public and can also be viewed via Zoom. In her lecture, Murphy will show how fixed mindset cultures (Cultures of Genius) in college classrooms negatively affect all students – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – and how growth mindset cultures (Cultures of Growth) close equity gaps.
"Professors' mindsets play a significant role in the success of all students, and especially in the success of students from structurally disadvantaged backgrounds," Murphy said. "We, as faculty, have the power to shape students' motivation, engagement and performance through the mindset culture we create in our classrooms. We are the culture creators of our classroom environments. I am excited to share what we've learned about these processes with the IU and Bloomington communities so that we can create more supportive, inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive."
Murphy is the founder of the Equity Accelerator at Indiana University, a research, practice and policy organization focused on creating more equitable learning and working environments through social and behavioral science. Her research identifies the situational cues—like faculty and institutional mindset—that influence people's academic motivation and achievement to understand when those processes are similar and different for structurally advantaged and disadvantaged individuals. She develops, implements and evaluates social psychological interventions that reduce identity threat and spur success.
Murphy’s research also examines barriers and solutions for building gender and racial diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. In particular, she examines the role of organizational mindset in companies' organizational culture, employee engagement and performance, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Murphy joined the faculty of Indiana University in 2012, and a year later, she was named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science. In 2019, she was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers — the highest honor bestowed on early career scientists by the United States government. She is the recipient of more than $9 million in federal and foundation grants, including a recent $2.2 million National Science Foundation CAREER award for her research on strategies to improve diversity in STEM. Her research has been profiled in The New York Times, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American, and NPR, among other outlets. Mary’s new book on organizational mindset, "Cultures of Growth," is set to be published by Simon & Schuster in 2023.
The Distinguished Faculty Research Lecture series is an annual event that recognizes the research achievements of an IU Bloomington faculty member and is accompanied by a $5,000 award to support the distinguished lecturer's continuing research. Past awardees include Bernice Pescosolido, Elinor Ostrom, Richard DiMarchi, Ellen Ketterson and Jeffrey White.