Office Location:
226 ThmpsOffice Hours:
By appointmentTC Affiliations:
Faculty Expertise:
Educational Background
- Ph.D., Industrial/Organizational Psychology, New York University
- M.A., Psychology, New York University
- B.S., Psychology, University of Illinois - Urbana
Scholarly Interests
- The role of contemporary antisemitism on well-being and inclusion
- The long term effects of stereotype threat in the workplace
- The influence of race and gender stereotypes on perceptions of leaders
- Microaggressions in the workplace
- How leaders can create inclusive climates for their teams
Selected Publications
Silverstein, Y. & Block, C.J. (2025). Making the invisible visible: Exploring contemporary antisemitic experiences on college campuses through racial microaggressions theory. Journal of Jewish Education https://doi.org/10.1080/15244113.2025.2482060
Monton, K. & Block, C.J. (2025). No pain, no gain? Masculinity contest culture in elite sport contexts. Career Development International, 1-16. Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-07-2024-0329
Kim, J., Kim, R. & Block, C.J. (2024). Silence is not always golden: Exploring the impact of leader intervention against racial microaggressions against Asian Americans. American Behavioral Scientist. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642241237753
Nguyen, D., Block, C.J., Kim, J. (2024). General and stereotype-based microaggressions experienced by Asians and Asian Americans in the workplace: A qualitative study. American Behavioral Scientist. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642241232760
Block, C.J., Gupta, A. & Li, A. (2022). Can a relationship buffer women eaders against the negative consequences of anger expression? Journal of Vocational Behavior, 133, 103665, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103665
Kim, J., Brockner J. & Block, C.J. (2022). Congruence between self-affirmation and self-construal eliminates the MBA gender performance gap. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 169, 1041 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2022.104118
Kim, J., Block, C.J. & Yu, E. (2021). Debunking the ‘model minority’ myth: How positive attitudes toward Asians influence perceptions of racial microaggressions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 13, 103648, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103648
Perry, E.L., Block, C.J. & Noumair, D.A. (2021). Leading in: Inclusive leadership, inclusive climates and sexual harassment. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, 40, 430-447
Block, C.J., Cruz, M., Bairley, M, Harel-Marian, T. & Roberson, L (2019). Inside the prism of an invisible threat: Shining a light on the hidden work of contending with systemic stereotype threat in STEM fields. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 113, 33-50.
Kim, J., Block, C.J. & Nguyen, D. (2019). What’s visible is my race. What’s invisible is my contribution: Understanding the effects of race and colorblind racial attitudes on the perceived impact of microaggressions toward Asians in the workplace. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 113, 75-87.
Biographical Information
Caryn Block is a Professor of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her scholarship examines identity, inclusion, and organizational climate, with a focus on how both overt and subtle forms of bias shape well-being, belonging, and participation in educational and workplace settings.
Dr. Block’s research explores how gender, race, and identity influence perceptions of leaders, professional advancement, and inclusion in organizations. She has examined the effects of stereotype threat, microaggressions, and bias on individuals’ experiences at work. Her collaborations include studies with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on perceived racial discrimination in the workplace and with the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program on the long-term effects of stereotype threat among women scientists.
Her current work investigates the psychological impact of contemporary antisemitism, focusing on how exclusion and hostility affect identity, mental health, and belonging among Jewish people. This line of research continues her longstanding interest in how marginalized groups experience and respond to bias in professional contexts. Current projects include collaborations with academic and community partners such as the Anti-Defamation League’s Center for Antisemitism Research. She is also a Fellow at the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism.
Professor Block’s work has appeared in journals including Journal of Vocational Behavior, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Academy of Management Journal, and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. In addition to her research, she teaches in Columbia Business School’s Executive Education programs and works with senior leaders on diversity, inclusion, and leadership development. She advises institutions on inclusive leadership and evidence-based climate assessment and intervention. Professor Block earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from New York University.
Honors and Awards
Fellow, London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemism (2025-present)
Sonsored Doctoral Dissertation (Jean Sohn) winner of the Best Paper Based on a Dissertation Award of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division of the Academy of Management (2025)
Paper nominated for 2020 Best Symposium Award for the Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division of the Academy of Management (Li & Block, 2020).
Dorothy Harlow Award Runner-up for the Best Paper, Gender, Diversity and Organizations Division of the Academy of Management (Castro, Block, Ferraris & Roberson, 2013).
Paper chosen as 1 of 6 articles to represent Industrial/Organizational Psychology in the American Psychological Association Online Continuing Education Program (Block, Koch, Liberman, Merriweather & Roberson, 2011). http://www.apa.org/education/ce/1360299.aspx
Paper published early in a Spotlight Issue of Journal of Applied Social Psychology that represents excellent work in Organizational Psychology (Block, Aumann & Chelin, 2012).
Paper chosen as one of the “Best of Science Careers” in 2010 (Pfirman, Block, Bell, Roberson, & Culligan, 2010).
Sponsor Doctoral Dissertation (Diane Bergeron) winner of Best Paper Based on a Dissertation Award of the Gender, Diversity and Organizations Division of the Academy of Management (2005).
Professional Experiences
Recent Conference Presentations:
Selected Invited Addresses
ISGAP (Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism & Policy) - Oxford Summer Institute for Curriculum Development in Critical Contemporary Antisemitism Studies. Capturing the Impact of Contemporary Antisemitism: Insights on Jewish Well-Being and Belonging on College Campuses, August 2025
MAVEN Program for Accelerating Diversity in Health & Science Leadership: Leading While Female: Negotiating Gendered Diversity Dynamics in Organizations, June, 2021, May 2022, May 2023, June 2024
Bernstein Center for Leadership and Ethics and Leadership Lab at Columbia Business School, Leadership Co-Curricular Series: Racial Microaggressions in the Workplace, November, 2020.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative, Columbia Business School, Workshop for Faculty and Staff, Understanding Race, Power and Privilege, November, 2020
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Academic Conference, Sponsored by Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School and INSEAD: Understanding Diversity Dynamics in Systems, July, 2020.
Center for Curatorial Leadership, Mellon Seminar in Curatorial Practice. Building Self-Awareness for Career Development: Emotional Intelligence at Work (2020-present)
Action IQ, Leadership Development and Employee Development Workshops: Understanding Diversity Dynamics in Systems, February, March, October, 2020
Board of Cooperational Educational Services (BOCES) Senior Leadership Team, Rockland County: Understanding Diversity Dynamics and Undoing Racism, Series of Workshops, AY 2019-2020, AY 2020-2021.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Executive Development Program: Leading for Inclusion, Understanding Diversity Dynamics (2019 - present).
Spencer Stuart, Workshops Series: Understanding Diversity Dynamics in Systems and Creating the Conditions to Have Diversity Conversations, 2018, 2019.
Columbia University, Bridge to the PhD Program in STEM: Navigating Stereotype Threat in STEM Fields,September, 2019.
Stripe, Inc. Leadership Development Seminar: Leadership for Inclusion: Understanding Diversity Dynamics, August 2017, 2018, 2019.
Pfizer Pearl River, Seminar: Leveraging Diversity to Create Inclusion, October 2018.
Goldman Sachs, Operations Division: Creating Inclusive Organizations: Understanding Diversity Dynamics, July, August and September, 2017.
Board of Cooperational Educational Services (BOCES) Senior Leadership Team, Rockland County: Creating Learning Organizations, August, 2017 - 2021
Center for Curatorial Leadership, Mellon Seminar Series in Curatorial Practice: Leadership and Personality, (2017-present).
Columbia University Medical School Faculty Leadership Program, Leadership and Self- Awareness (2017-present).
CA Technologies, Women’s Leadership Summit: Understanding Diversity Dynamics in Systems, March, 2017.
Professional Organization Membership
Professor Block is a member of the Academy of Management and the American Psychological Association (Division of Industrial Organizational Psychology).
Professor Block serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, American Psychologist, Journal of Organizational and Occupational Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Academy of Management Review, and Sex Roles.