A Cross-Boundary Social Science of Trust

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Trust matters.

Social theorists have long argued that the fundamentally uncertain nature of the human experience necessarily positions trust as a precondition of social cohesion but the events of the last few years have brought questions of trust to the forefront. Understanding, building, and repairing trust has become critical for the effective function of policing, public health, and even higher education itself. Although much has been done to investigate these issues, little has been done to integrate this work to develop a cross boundary understanding of the construct. Thus, despite a need for it in virtually every human interaction, trust research remains typified by contextual and disciplinary silos.

My program of research, teaching, and service takes a deliberately interdisciplinary approach to bridging these boundaries through efforts that seek to synergistically advance the scientific literature, train the next generation of trust scholars, and ensure strong potential for broader impact.