I research how culture influences intergroup conflict in organizations and society.

My research focuses on a tension in intergroup relations that often goes unnoticed: cultural defaults. I look at how features of our cultural contexts that seem objective, neutral, or even positive drive real-world social conflict—such as racial disparities in mortgages and gender segregation in the workplace. I aim to understand why cultural defaults fuel long-standing tensions between groups, and to develop and test new strategies for improving group relations.

I earned my B.F.A., cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2010, completed Columbia University’s post-baccalaureate certificate program in Psychology in 2013, and earned my Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Washington in 2021. Prior to joining Yale, I was a post-doctoral research scholar at Columbia Business School.

Learn more about my research here or by emailing me, adriana.germano@yale.edu.