Dr. Katherine Starzyk

Dr. Katherine Starzyk is an Associate Professor in Social and Personality Psychology at the University of Manitoba. She is also a Founding Member of the Centre for Human Rights Research and a Research Affiliate of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation as well as the Centre for Social Science Research & Policy. Born in Poland, Starzyk immigrated to Canada when she was seven years old. She brings her identities as a Polish Canadian woman to her work and was the first person in her working-class family to attend university. In her research, teaching, and service, Starzyk focuses on understanding how to shift attitudes toward past and present human rights issues as well as how various frames of such issues or histories affect intergroup relations, focusing primarily (but not exclusively) on the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. In collaboration with students in the Social Justice Laboratory and others across disciplines and sectors, Starzyk's work is multidisciplinary and involves diverse methodologies. Through this work, she aims to make both scholarly and applied contributions. Presently, alongside a dedicated team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners and collaborators, Starzyk is spending much of her time on the Canadian Reconciliation Barometer. Funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant, the team’s goals are to: 1. understand what reconciliation means to Indigenous Peoples and others in Canada; 2. track reconciliation progress, in a way that is respectful of Indigenous Peoples and uses best practices in psychometrics (the science of psychological measurement) and public polling; 3. develop evidence-based interventions and initiatives to promote reconciliation. In the longer term, and with additional funding, the team will also build an international network among those who do similar work.