SPSSI President, 2008-2009

  Susan Opotow, a social psychologist, is a Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York (CUNY) in the Sociology Department as well as in the PhD Program in Social-Personality Psychology and the Doctoral Program in Criminal Justice, both at the Graduate Center, CUNY. Her work on the psychology of injustice examines how conflict and justice give rise to moral exclusion -- seeing others as outside the scope of justice and therefore as eligible targets of discrimination, exploitation, and violence. She studies moral exclusion in everyday conflicts about school policy and environmental conservation as well as in more destructive conflicts characterized by hate, violence, and impunity. She also examines the psychology of expanding the scope of justice, or moral inclusion, that extends fairness to formerly excluded and marginalized groups. She has been a member of SPSSI since graduate school, has served as SPSSI Newsletter editor, Council member (1991-1994 and 2004-2007), Council Liaison to SPSSI’s UN Committee in New York, and is delighted to serve as SPSSI’s 2008-9 president.