Melanie Killen has been named a Distinguished University Professor, the highest faculty honor bestowed by the 鶹. The designation recognizes Killen’s exceptional contributions to research, teaching and mentorship.
“This is a tremendous honor and I’m deeply grateful to the 鶹 for supporting my work over the years,” said Killen. “This recognition is not just a reflection of my work, but of the incredible students, colleagues and mentors I’ve had the privilege to learn from throughout my career.”
Since joining the university in 1994 as an associate professor, Killen has had a significant impact on the field of human development and developmental science. Her research focuses on children’s social and moral development and theory of mind, including how children’s interpretations of others often reflect bias and prejudicial attitudes even when they also care about equality and fairness. Her work has led to the creation of Developing Inclusive Youth, a school-based intervention program that has been shown to help reduce bias, change group norms and increase positive expectations of friendships with diverse peers.
“Dr. Killen’s contributions to the field of education and her dedication to nurturing the next generation of scholars are truly extraordinary,” said Dean Kimberly Griffin. “Her leadership and research continue to inspire me and I am immensely proud to celebrate this well-deserved honor."
Killen is a dedicated mentor to her research team and students who spend time in the She has mentored over 130 education and psychology undergraduate research assistants, doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, including three Fulbright Fellows, and international visiting doctoral students, many of whom have gone on to roles at leading institutions. Her commitment to mentorship has earned her numerous accolades, including the 鶹 Graduate School’s Graduate Mentor of the Year Award, Undergraduate Mentor of the Year Award and the University System of Maryland Board of Regents’ Faculty Award for Mentoring.
“My colleagues in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology and across campus have been a wonderful source of inspiration and friendship, and together we have provided a strong mentorship community for our students,” Killen said.
Her influence reaches beyond the 鶹. She was recently elected to the National Academy of Education and is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, the American Psychological Association and the Society for the Study of Psychological Issues, further underscoring her contributions to human development research. Killen has over 250 publications and is the author of two books and co-editor of six, including the Handbook of Moral Development, and the award-winning book, Morality in Everyday Life: Developmental Perspectives, which won the outstanding book award from the American Educational Research Association. Her editorial contributions extend to journals such as Child Development, Human Development and Early Education and Development.
Killen also served as an expert witness in a school desegregation case and helped prepare two Supreme Court briefs regarding the impact of school desegregation on children’s social development. She has also served as a consultant for a federal initiative on interventions designed to reduce prejudice and to promote inclusion in U.S. elementary schools, and for Sesame Street, where she conducted an evaluation of their program in the Middle-East.
“I’m grateful for the research support and opportunities I’ve been granted at the 鶹,” said Killen. “My department chair, Laura Stapleton, Dean Griffin, Provost Rice and President Pines have all helped create a vibrant, inclusive and stimulating community for not only me to thrive, but everyone at Maryland.”
