Professor, Social Psychology
Dr Ford earned a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Biology from Santa Clara University in 1996. She then earned an MA and PhD from the University of California Santa Barbara in Social Psychology with an additional emphasis in Quantitative Methods.
Dr Ford is a Professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and she is currently Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development. She teaches courses in general psychology, introductory statistics, social psychology, close relationships, psychology of peace and conflict, and a first year seminar on health psychology.
Her primary research interest is in the area of close relationships. She investigates: (1) the influence of social stressors, such as rejection, on health and well-being, (2) social perception processes in positive and negative interpersonal interaction, (3) social support processes, with a focus on support-seeking and caregiving. She also conducts research on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation. One of the best parts of Dr Ford’s job is mentoring students in a research setting. Her research team typically consists of a group of 3 to 6 undergraduate students.
Outside of work she enjoys swimming, yoga, a good cup of green tea, and spending time with her husband, two daughters and their dog.
