2010-2011 Lessons from the Field
More than just mean girls: A Series on Relational Aggression
November 30, 2010
Presenter/Panelist Bios
Nicki Crick, Ph.D. – Dr. Crick is Professor and Director of the Institute of Child Development,
Director of the Center on Relational Aggression, and the recipient of numerous awards including
the Distinguished Alumni Award, Vanderbilt University, the Distinguished McKnight University
Professorship, University of Minnesota, and a fellowship with the Center for Advanced Study in
Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University. She is the foremost researcher in the field of relational
aggression. Dr. Crick’s research has included studies on pre-school aggression and groundbreaking
research showing the importance and relevance of the concept of “relational aggression” as a tool
for understanding the difficulties that all children, but especially girls, often face in their peer
group. Dr. Crick’s recent publications include her research work on the role of culture in relational
aggression and the association of media violence with aggression among elementary school
children.
Dante Cicchetti, Ph.D. – Professor, McKnight Presidential Chair and Professor, Institute of Child
Development and Department of Psychiatry, and Faculty in the Institute of Child Development,
Cicchetti received the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 7 Mentorship Award in
2008. The Mentorship Award honors individuals who have contributed to developmental
psychology through the education and training of the next generation of research leaders in
developmental psychology. Dr. Cicchetti earned his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. As a
graduate student he became interested in the emerging field of developmental psychopathology.
He has been committed to making a difference in the lives of at-risk children and their families. He
has become a leading international scholar, making significant contributions toward understanding
the effects of poverty, abuse, neglect, depression, and mental retardation on child development and
emotional attachment.
Dianna Murray-Close, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Vermont, Dr.
Murray-Close received her B.A. from Carleton College in Psychology, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from
the Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota. Dr. Murray-Close's research focuses on
the development of aggressive behavior patterns in children and adolescents. Her work explores
the development of forms of aggression more common among girls (i.e., relational aggression) in
addition to forms more typical in boys (i.e., physical aggression). Dr. Murray-Close's research has
examined the social, cognitive, and physiological contributors to children's involvement in
relational aggression as well as the maladaptive consequences associated with such conduct. Other
research interests include gender development and the development of Borderline Personality
Disorder.
Center for Excellence in Children’s Mental Health (CECMH), University of Minnesota
www.cmh.umn.edu