About
Even prior to the Division's official founding in November 1930, achievements in the social sciences were hallmarks of the University of Chicago's earliest history.
From the Dean
“The Division of the Social Sciences is an interconnected community of scholars. Those connections extend across disciplines; encompass faculty, students, alumni; and extend to the community of social scientists across the University of Chicago. We sustain and are enriched by activities—from faculty research collaboration to graduate education and undergraduate teaching—that naturally reach across divisions and schools. These connections feed our scholarly and pedagogical work and provide routes for our research to have influence on real-world challenges. ”— Amanda Woodward, Dean, Division of the Social Sciences and William S. Gray Distinguished Service Professor of Psychology
Amanda Woodward joined the University of Chicago faculty in 1993 and served as Deputy Dean for Faculty Affairs in the Division from 2015-2017 and as Chair of the Department of Psychology from 2013-2015.
Woodward has pioneered the development of experimental methods to investigate social cognition in infants and young children. Her research has yielded fundamental insights into infants’ social understanding and the processes that support conceptual development early in life. Woodward is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Association for Psychological Science, and the American Psychological Association.
A Community of Scholars
Social Sciences faculty, research, and training programs are known for exceptional strengths in statistical methods and formal modeling, social theory, and scientific reasoning, a combination that distinguishes the Division as a preeminent leader in research and education. These examples highlight recent endeavors and accomplishments:
Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity
Eve L. Ewing on her Hopes for the new Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity.
SSD
SSD Welcomes 9 New Faculty.
Economics
UChicago Economics Center Partners with Casa Central to Support Chicago Families.
SSD
Inaugural Alumni-in-Residence program connected current and former students.