Jennifer Eberhardt Biography

Jennifer L. Eberhardt was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1965. She received her BA in psychology from the University of Cincinnati, followed by an MA and PhD in psychology from Harvard University. After completing her doctorate in 1993, Eberhardt taught at Yale University before departing for Stanford University in 1998. There, she cofounded SPARQ, a university-sponsored program aimed at using insights from social psychology to effect change in public policy, education, and industry. 

Eberhardt’s laboratory studies, as well as her public-outreach work, have focused on racial bias and its effects on policing and criminal justice. Her research has been honored with a MacArthur “Genius” Grant (2014) and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology’s (SPSP) Career Contribution Award (2020), among other accolades. Biased, Eberhardt’s first book, was likewise honored with the SPSP Book Prize (2020) and the American Psychological Association’s William James Book Award (2020). In addition to her extensive work in police antibias training, Eberhardt has consulted with organizations including Airbnb and Nextdoor on issues of bias and inclusivity.