Shira Gabriel, President Nominee

Institutional affiliation: SUNY, University at Buffalo             

Area of specialization: Social Psychology

Website (if applicable): https://ubwp.buffalo.edu/gabriellab/lab-members/dr-shira-gabriel/

Summary of professional interests:

Dr. Shira Gabriel is a Professor of Psychology at SUNY, University at Buffalo. She studies the need to belong, including how nontraditional targets can fill belongings needs and the importance of immersion in large crowds for well-being.  Dr. Gabriel received her PhD in Social Psychology from Northwestern University in 2000. 

Representative publications:

Naidu, E., Gabriel, S., Wildschut, T., & Sedikides, C. (in press). Reliving the Good Old Days: Nostalgia Increases Psychological Wellbeing Through Collective Effervescence. Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Gabriel, S., Green, M., Paravati, E. & Naidu, E. (in press). Using Imaginary Worlds for Real Social Benefits Behavioral and Brian Sciences.

Leary, M. R. & Gabriel, S. (2022).  The Relentless Pursuit of Acceptance and Belonging. Advances in Motivational Science.

Gabriel, S., Naidu, E., Paravati, E., Morrison, C. D., & Gainey, K. (2020). Creating the sacred from the profane: Collective effervescence and everyday activities. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(1), 129–154.

Gabriel, S., Valenti, J., & Young, A. F. (2016). Watching, Reading, and Eating Your Way to Belonging: Symbolic Social Relationships and the Social Self.  Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 53, 189-243.

Representative honors or awards:

• Fellow of the Midwestern Psychological Association
• President of the International Society for Self & Identity
• President of The Society of Experimental Social Psychology
• Editor (2015-2019) Self and Identity
• Editor (2018-2020) Character and Context

Involvement in MPA:

MPA was the first professional organization I joined and the first conference I attended.  My first conference was during my first year of graduate school in 1996 (Yikes!  That was a long time ago).  My poster was printed out on regular paper with a different color construction paper framing each sheet.  Very fancy! Since that auspicious start, I have attended every conference (save for the years after each of my kids was born). After standing by many posters and then giving more than a few 15 minutes talks at terrible times, I gave invited talks, an invited symposium and spoke at a couple of organized symposia. I have watched countless graduate students hit it out of the park on their MPA talks.  I served on program committee. I love MPA.