David Sparkman, Ph.D.

Dr. Sparkman is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and teaches numerous courses in the area of diversity, prejudice, and intergroup relations. He also runs the Diversity, Prejudice, and Intergroup Relations (DPIR) Lab where he works with and mentors numerous students on real-world research related to mitigating intergroup bias and capitalizing on the benefits of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. His research and publications focus on intergroup contact and experiences with other cultures, intergroup perspective taking/empathy, inclusive social identification, and multicultural vs. colorblind approaches to diversity and their impact on affective, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral outcomes. Additional research includes how various personality factors and political ideology relate to diversity, prejudice, and intergroup relations. Among Dr. Sparkman’s many skills include developing research questions and hypotheses, designing research surveys and experiments, and collecting and analyzing statistical data. He received his master’s and PhD in psychology from the University of Arkansas.