Elizabeth K. Lawner, PhD

Dr. Lawner is a Research Associate at ACUE. She served as an instructor of record and teaching assistant at the University of Connecticut and was a tutor at Applerouth Tutoring. Lawner’s primary research interest during graduate school was the recruitment and retention of women in science, technology, engineering, and math, particularly focused on higher education. Her work in this area on student reactions to performance feedback and role models led her to consider how instructors could play a part in increasing equity in education, an interest that brought her to ACUE.

Lawner was also the project director at the University of Connecticut on a multi-site research study on mental health and roommate relationships among college students that was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Prior to the University of Connecticut, Lawner served as a senior research assistant at Child Trends and worked on multiple evaluations of out-of-school time programs as an independent consultant.

Lawner graduated cum laude from Duke University, where she earned her BA in psychology. She holds an MA and PhD in social psychology and a certificate in quantitative research methods, all from the University of Connecticut. Lawner also coauthored a research-based book for parents, Breaking Through! Helping Girls Succeed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, which received the 2017 Book of the Year Award, parent/caregiver category, from the National Association for Gifted Children.