CURRICULUM VITAE

MITA BANERJEE

OFFICE ADDRESS:

Pitzer College, 1050 North Mills Ave.

Claremont CA 91711                                                           

(909) 607-2648                                                                  

EDUCATION:

Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, University of Michigan, December 1992.

M.A., Developmental Psychology, University of Michigan, December 1989.

B.A. (Honors), Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada, May 1986.

WORK EXPERIENCE:

Associate Dean of Faculty, Pitzer College (2001-2002)

Associate Professor, Pitzer College (1998-present)

Assistant Professor, Pitzer College (1992-1998)

Graduate Student Teaching Assistant, University of Michigan (1987-88)

Graduate Student Research Assistant, University of Michigan (1987-1991)

Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of British Columbia (1985-87)

Relief Staff Member, Richmond Society for Special People (1984-88)

AWARDS:

Irvine/Ontario Grant Award for Course on Risk and Resilience (2003)

Hewlett Award for External Studies Course Development(1996)

Pitzer College Research and Awards Grant (1993-1999)

Marquis Award (University of Michigan Psychology Department Award for Outstanding Dissertation, April 1993)

Rackham Graduate School Dissertation/Thesis Grant (1992)

Mellon Foundation Dissertation Fellowship (1991-92)

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowship (1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91)

Morris Belkin Prize for Best Undergraduate Psychology Honors Thesis (May, 1986)

Government of British Columbia Post Secondary Scholarship (1985, 1986)

William and Ada Isabelle Steele Scholarship (1986)

Carl and Elsie Halterman Scholarship (1985)

University of British Columbia Scholarship (1983, 1984)

Government of British Columbia University Entrance Scholarship (1982)

TEACHING INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCE:

Courses which I have previously taught at Pitzer College, include: Child Development, Seminar in Emotional Development, Introduction to Psychology, The Socialization of Gender, Gender and Sexuality, Experimental Child Psychology, Laboratory in Social Development, Seminar in Social Cognitive Development, Risk and Resilience in Childhood, Children and Families in South Asia and a Freshman Seminar on families. I am also prepared to teach a variety of other courses, such as: Social Development, Cognitive Development, Research Methods in Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Women, as well as a Laboratory in Developmental Psychology. In addition, I have supervised both undergraduate research assistants and graduate students from Claremont Graduate University on research projects, as well as in my own research on children's understanding of emotion regulation and on children's concepts of the family. I have also served as chairperson on Katherine Fallin's Master's Thesis Committee and her Doctoral Thesis (completed Spring 2000), and as chairperson of Danielle Simpson's Masters’ and Dissertation committee (completed Spring 2002). I am currently a member of Susan Neufeld’s Doctoral Committee, as well as research supervisor for Tamara Hamai and Jacquelyn Christensen’s Masters theses.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

My research has focused largely on children's early understanding of emotions, and represents an interest in both social and cognitive aspects of this understanding. My most recent studies examine children's knowledge about emotion regulation, as well as parents' values and beliefs about emotion. The connection between parents’ “metaemotion theories” and their emotion interactions with children is a focus of present work. Through the use of a natural language dataset, I am also examining the messages about emotions and their regulation that are contained in parents' spontaneous speech to their children. As a way of extending my work on the socialization of emotion understanding, I am examining the depiction of emotion regulation presented in children's storybooks, and the way in which mind and emotion are linked in these portrayals. In keeping with my interest in the way in which social cognition and social experiences interact, I am also researching cultural differences in children's understanding of the family.

PUBLICATIONS:

Banerjee, M., Fallin, K.A., & Simpson, D.L. (2005). Dealin’ with Feelin’s: What Preschoolers; Know About Emotion Regulation. Manuscript submitted to Journal of Nonverbal Behavior; revise & resubmit status.

Banerjee, M. & Simpson, D. (2005). Once upon a feeling: Emotion messages in children’s storybooks. Manuscript under review.

                Banerjee, M, Piver, D., & Fallin, K. (2005) Out of the mouths of babes: A natural language study of children's early emotion. Manuscript under review.

Banerjee, M. (1997). Peeling the onion: A multi-layered view of children's emotional development. The Development of Social Cognition. London: Psychology Press, 241-272..

                Banerjee, M. (1997).  Hidden emotions: Preschoolers' knowledge of appearance-reality and emotion display rules.  Social Cognition, 15(2), 107-132.

                Wellman, H.M., Harris, P.L., Banerjee, M, & Sinclair, A. (1995).  Early understandings of emotion: Evidence from natural language.  Cognition and Emotion, 9(2/3),117-149.

                Wellman, H.M. & Banerjee, M. (1991).  Mind and emotion: Children's understanding of the emotional consequences of beliefs and desires. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9, 191-214.      

UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS:

                Banerjee, M. (1994).  Peer Relationships: An Interconnected Framework.               

                Banerjee, M. (1992).  Preschoolers' understanding of emotion: Appearance reality, display rules, and regulation strategies.  Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Michigan.

MANUSCRIPTS IN PROGRESS:

                Banerjee, M. (manuscript in preparation).  Parents' and preschoolers' understanding of familial conceptions.

PRESENTATIONS;

Banerjee, M. (2006). Emotion in a social world: Explorations into the ways in which children learn in an emotional and social context. Paper to be presented at the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development Meetings, Melbourne, Australia, July 2006.

Banerjee, M. (2005). Teaching Feelings: The Connection Between Parents’ Emotion Beliefs and Parent-Child Interactions.   Paper to be presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Atlanta, Georgia., April, 2005.

                Banerjee, M. (2003). Metaemotion: Links Between Parental Emotion Beliefs and Parent-Child Interactions.   Paper presented at the Western Psychological Association, Vancouver, B.C. Canada, May 2003.

                Banerjee, M., & Richardson, E. (2001). Children's Theory of Mind and Familial Conceptions.  Paper presented at the American Psychological Society Conference, Toronto, Canada, June, 2001.

                Banerjee, M. & Fallin, K. (1997).  Emotional Yesteryear: Links between present and past emotional understanding.  Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Washington, D.C., April, 1997.

Banerjee, M.  Psychological Theories of Love. (1996).  Invited Address to Pitzer College Alumni College, April 1996.

                Banerjee, M. & Simpson, D. (1996).  Parental socialization of emotion: A natural language study.  Poster presented at the American Psychological Association Conference, Toronto, CANADA, August 1996.

                Banerjee, M. Children's Understanding of Emotion (1995).  Invited Address to Social Psychology Faculty and Graduate Students, Claremont Graduate School, October 1995.

                Banerjee, M., & Fallin, K. (1995).  To feel or not to feel: Emotion messages in children's storybooks.  Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Indianapolis, IN, March 1995.

                Banerjee, M. & Simpson, D. (1995).  Emotion and the mind: An analysis of children's storybooks.  Poster presented at the Current Directions in Theories of Mind Conference, Eugene, OR, Feb. 1995.

                Banerjee, M. & Fallin, K. (1994).  An examination of gender and emotion in children's storybooks.  Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Kona, Hawaii, April 1994.

                Banerjee, M. (1994).  Children's and parents' understanding of emotion display rules and regulation strategies.  Invited address to developmental area faculty and graduate students, University of California-Riverside, January 1994.

                Banerjee, M. (1993).  The appearance-reality distinction and regulation strategies: Preschoolers' emotion understanding.  Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, New Orleans, March 1993.

                Banerjee, M. (1993).  Preschoolers' and parents' understanding of emotion: The development of gender differences.  Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, New Orleans, March 1993.

                Banerjee, M. (1993).  Preschoolers' and parents' knowledge of emotions.  Invited Address to Faculty and Graduate Students at the University of Michigan, April 1993.

                Banerjee, M. (1993).  Preschoolers' understanding of emotion.  Invited Address to Claremont Graduate School Psychology Faculty and Graduate Students, April 1993.

                Banerjee, M. (1992).  Children's understanding of emotional display rules and emotion regulation strategies.  Paper presented at the Annual Symposium of the Jean Piaget Society, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 1992.

                Banerjee, M., & Wellman, H.M. (1991).  Preschoolers' use of emotion contrastives: Evidence for a mentalistic understanding of emotions. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Seattle, WA, April, 1991.

                Banerjee, M. (1990).  Children's understanding of emotions: a belief-desire perspective.  Paper presented at the Annual Symposium of the Jean Piaget Society, Philadelphia, PA, May, 1990.

Fallin, K. & Banerjee, M. (1996).  The effect of adult-child joint storybook reading on children's conceptual understanding of emotion.  Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Washington, D.C., April, 1997.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

Member, Society for Research in Child Development.

Member, American Psychological Association.

Ad hoc reviewer, Child Development.

Ad hoc reviewer, Developmental Psychology.

Ad hoc reviewer, Social Development.

Ad hoc reviewer, Social Cognition.

Consultant, House of Ruth Evaluation Program

DEPARTMENTAL HONORS/COMMITTEE WORK :

Chair, Budgetary Implementation Committee (2004-2005)

Chair & Member, Campus Life Committee (2002-2003)

Member, Curriculum Committee (2000-2002)

Member, Faculty Executive Committee (1998-2000)

Member, Gender and Feminist Studies Search Committee (1995, 1996), Pitzer College.

Member, Vice President of Admissions and Financial Aid Search Committee (1995), Pitzer College.

Faculty Advisor, Asian American Sponsor Program (1994-present).

Member, Academic Planning Committee (1994-95), Pitzer College.

Member, Minority Recruitment and Concerns Committee (1993-94), Pitzer College.

Member, Women's Studies of the Claremont Colleges Curriculum Committee (1993-94).

Member, Women's Studies of the Claremont Colleges Coordinating Committee (1995, 1996).

Member, Psychology and Black Studies Search Committee (1993), Pitzer College.

Member, Writing Committee (1992-93, 1993-94), Pitzer College.

Member, External Studies Committee (1992-93), Pitzer College.

Member, Psychology Department Executive Committee (1991-1992), University of  Michigan.

Psychology Faculty Departmental Associate (1991-92), University of Michigan.

Psychology Graduate Council Representative (1991-92), University of Michigan.

Member, Developmental Area Admissions Committee (1991), University of Michigan.