Dr. Patrick Grzanka

Biography

Patrick Grzanka is a University Diversity Social Transformation Professor in the Women's Gender Studies Department and a Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, obtained in 2010. An applied feminist psychologist, his research focuses on social institutions that claim to assist, such as science, education, health care, and medicine, while often reproducing harm. Grzanka employs quantitative and qualitative methods to explore complicated social inequalities at the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, and other social categories. He aims to elaborate on intersectionality as a responsibly used tool for social science and social justice. His current work, framed within reproductive justice, examines how young people in the United States navigate reproductive health care and sexual politics, especially following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. He is an esteemed fellow of the American Psychological Association and has served as President of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. Before joining UM, Grzanka was the inaugural Divisional Dean of Social Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Students interested in working with him are encouraged to contact him directly.

Research Interests