The Black Scholar Series: Dr. Mesmin Destin
Dr. Mesmin Destin
We welcome our first speaker for the 2026-2026 Academic Year, Dr. Mesmin Destin.
Mesmin Destin is the Faculty Director of Student Access & Enrichment and Professor of Psychology and Education at Northwestern University. He is also a fellow of Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research. He directs a multidisciplinary lab group and engages in research that investigates social psychological mechanisms underlying socioeconomic disparities in educational outcomes during adolescence and young adulthood. He uses laboratory and field experiments to identify social factors and interactions that influence how young people perceive themselves and pursue their futures. At the university level, he examines how social experiences and institutional resources shape the educational trajectories and health of low socioeconomic status and first-generation college students. His work carries implications for institutions and the development of learning environments that recognize and leverage student strengths and identities in ways that support motivation, achievement, and well-being.
Destin’s research has been funded by organizations including the National Science Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the William T. Grant Foundation. He is the recipient of several awards including the American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution, the International Society for Self and Identity Outstanding Early Career Award, and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship.
Sessions
Sessions: REGISTER HERE
October 09, 2025
11:00 – 12:30 PM CT
Main Lecture: The Social Psychology of Socioeconomic Mobility
One of the most consistent and strongly held motivating forces is the goal of working towards the idea of a better life. Social psychological research provides a scientific understanding of the societal circumstances that guide people’s beliefs about whether socioeconomic mobility is possible. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated the consequence of these beliefs for how people imagine their own lives and pursue those visions. Around these insights, a rich accumulation of experimental research has shed new light on the psychological processes and social circumstances that help people to pursue goals of socioeconomic mobility. They illuminate the power and importance of systems that recognize the value of people’s identities that are often seen only as negative sources of marginalization to overcome. The studies also demonstrate key types of support that can lead to both achievement and well-being simultaneously, rather than success accompanied by social isolation and poor health.
**Zoom Auto Transcription is provided for virtual attendees. If you require a Live Transcriptionist, please email Dr. Jin Goh (jingoh@uic.edu) or Dr. Mayra Guerrero (mguerr@uic.edu)