The College of Arts and Sciences invites you to the Spring 2016 Dean's Lecture, "Beyond Mean Girls: Understanding the Development of Relational Aggression," which will be given by Associate Professor Dianna Murray-Close on Tuesday, February 9 at 5:00 PM in Memorial Lounge, Waterman Building.

Psychologists have long argued that girls rarely exhibit aggressive behaviors.  But a growing body of research indicates that girls and women are often aggressive in ways that had been overlooked.  Specifically, girls tend to engage in relational aggression—including gossip, social exclusion, and rumor-spreading—rather than physical aggression.  Professor Murray-Close will discuss the current understanding of the development of relational aggression, including the risk factors and developmental outcomes associated with these behaviors.

Dr. Dianna Murray-Close is Associate Professor of Psychological Science at the University of Vermont where she teaches courses in developmental psychology.  Her research focuses on the development of aggressive behaviors in girls.  She has published over 35 articles, many in top journals such as Child Development and Development and Psychopathology.  Her work is funded by the National Science Foundation and has been featured by CNN.com, Seven Days, WCAX, and Vermont Public Radio.

The Dean's Lecture Series was established in 1991 as a way to recognize and honor colleagues in the College of Arts and Sciences who have consistently demonstrated the ability to translate their professional knowledge and skill into exciting classroom experiences for their students - faculty who meet the challenge of being both excellent teachers and highly respected professionals in their own discipline. The Award is a celebration of the unusually high quality of our faculty and has become an important and treasured event each semester.

We hope you will join us. A recording of the lecture will be made available at the online media blog http://blog.uvm.edu/compute-cas-media/ and eventually at the College of Arts and Sciences website. Information: 656-3166