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Dr. Hema Selvanathan
Sustained group-based efforts and Social Change


Lecturer in Social Psychology, The University of Queensland;
PhD in Social Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst;
Master of Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst;
BA in Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire


Leila Eisner
​
Hema's research within Social Change Lab:
 
In collaboration with Winnifred Louis, I am currently working on a cross-national analysis of perceived norms around the rise of far-right movements. In the past, I have conducted research with Morgana-Lizzio Wilson and Michael Thai on how marginalised group researchers are perceived when they study prejudice against their own groups. See: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104181

 
About Hema
Dr Hema Preya Selvanathan was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She completed her PhD in social psychology (with a concentration in the psychology of peace and violence) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (2019). She then moved to the University of Queensland for a postdoctoral research fellowship (2019-2021). Currently, she is a Lecturer (teaching & research academic) in social psychology. She is part of the Social Identity and Groups Network (SIGN) at UQ. 

A central theme guiding Dr Hema Preya Selvanathan’s work is that both social change and the maintenance of the status quo is often achieved through sustained group-based efforts. To this end, she conducts research around ongoing social and political issues using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods in laboratory, online, and field settings across different regions of the world.  


Get in touch
Hema is always happy to speak about her work.  Potential speaking topics include: 
  • Social change and intergroup relations 
  • Social movements and collective action 
  • Intergroup solidarity 
  • Intergroup conflict and reconciliation


Articles written by Hema for the Social Change Blog: 
  • Watch This Space!

If you’re interested in having Hema speak at an event or collaborating on research, please get in touch.




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​The University of Queensland
St Lucia, QLD 4072
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    • Australian Democracy and Human Rights Festival 2025 (#ADHRF25)
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    • For Change Agents
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    • COVID19
    • PEPSS
    • Leapfrog
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    • JAMOVI for Psychology Scholars
    • Voices for Reconciliation through the Generations in Psychology: A project of the Reconciliation Working Group in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland
  • Blog
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  • Videos
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