Nathan Jorgensen, PhD, is a postdoctoral research associate for the Equity Research Action Coalition. He has extensive training in quantitative methodology and advanced statistical modeling. His research focuses on how cultural systems shape identity and social development across the lifespan. He is also interested in historical and socio-political perspectives on psychological theory and research.

As part of our FPG profile series, we recently spoke with Jorgensen to learn more about his work at FPG. Here’s what he had to say.

Tell us a bit about your professional journey―and what brought you to FPG?

I’ve always been interested in culture and how it shapes the ways we think about and interact with other people. I came to UNC in 2018 to study just that, joining the developmental psychology program under Eva Telzer. As I learned about culture, social development, and the adolescent brain, I became aware that my cultural lens was always aimed outward―the traditional researcher paradigm of an objective observer studying how things work in others. I decided to turn that lens back on myself, diving deep into studying whiteness, particularly how white people form their sense of racial identity across development.

This work, combined with all the chaos of 2020 and beyond, led me to seek opportunities for applied research, something that might have a more direct impact on people and society. I was already familiar with FPG from classes and seminars associated with the developmental psychology program, and when I heard that Iheoma Iruka founded the Equity Research Action Coalition, I reached out to her seeking opportunities to get involved. For the last two years of graduate school, I worked with her on one project about culturally relevant classroom practices and another on young children’s ethnic-racial identity formation (which I continue to work on, more on that below). I was fortunate to fully join the FPG team as a post-doc soon after graduating in 2023.

What do you do at FPG—describe your job, walk us through a typical day, and tell us about the projects you're currently working on.

So far, my typical day seems to shift with the times and seasons of academia, and though I haven’t had quite enough seasons to say for sure what a typical day is, I’ll share some of the things I’ve been up to.

One of my primary training goals as a post-doc has been to learn (and put into practice) more qualitative and community-based research methods, so I’ve been regularly attending relevant workshops and trainings. I’m continuing writing and co-authoring several manuscripts, so my time shifts from writing, reading, and running statistics depending on the week. I’m also learning a lot as I’m co-writing two grant applications and learning the ins and outs of the IRB process.

My primary project I’m working on is one that I joined as a graduate student, working with the Parents as Teachers (PAT) organization to understand young children’s ethnic-racial identity development. PAT develops and implements research-based curricula to support parents in promoting healthy child development. Several years ago, they saw the need to develop curriculum supporting healthy ethnic-racial identity in children and partnered with our team to start this process. At the early stages, our team collected lots of data from interviews and surveys from workers in their organization and parents they serve to gauge perceptions and readiness for this type of curriculum. Working together with their national center, our team is currently facilitating a learning community of experienced workers in their organization to develop practical tools that can be used with parents and families.  

What do you like most about your job?

Continuing from my answer to the previous question, I absolutely love the learning community project with Parents as Teachers, which is coming to a close this fall. I love my team and it’s been great watching this project evolve over time. The learning community is a new concept for me―it’s almost like a yearlong focus group discussion moving toward a common purpose and goals. We’ve met quarterly for the past year (with members of the national center and 10 experienced workers from all over the country), starting with only an idea and co-creating something that has been truly wonderful. There’s so much I could say about the process (and we plan to write a paper on it soon), but to keep it simple, it feels like a perfect encapsulation of the work I hope to continue doing. We have our research team that brings our unique skills and content knowledge, but we work together as equals with everyone else in the group. We work with and learn from experts in curriculum development and organizational leadership, and most importantly, experts in the everyday lived experiences of home visiting. I’ve loved being a part of this interdisciplinary, participatory process where we listen, share, and co-create. It has allowed me to use and apply my knowledge and skills, but also challenges me to make these easy enough to understand and relevant for people’s real lives. I’ve been inspired by the experiences and perspectives of the whole team, and working together as equals has made the research process far more productive, applicable, and rewarding.

What do you find most challenging?

I don’t think this is particular to FPG, but I find it quite challenging to put down roots as an academic researcher, especially early on. I’ve found such a wonderful community here (including the town, UNC, and FPG) and I feel like so many things in my life are coming together. I’m really getting into my groove finding my career trajectory, but there are definitely moments of panic when I’m not sure how things will work out. I try to not let these moments win―my team here at FPG is wonderful and has given me a great sense of belonging, so I use that to keep me motivated, productive, and creative. The career journey is just a part of my personal life journey, and I never would have guessed five years ago that I would be exactly where I am now. So, when the future seems unclear, I try to just roll with it and trust that it’ll be great no matter what.

How does your work further the mission of FPG?

FPG has such a wonderful legacy of conducting high quality research that benefits children, families, and society. My work builds on this by continuing to research topics that are not only interesting to me, but important and timely for today’s society. Solving the problems of today, particularly regarding racism, equity, and social justice, requires us to think and do differently. I try to focus not just on what I’m doing, but how I’m doing it. While continuing to do high quality and rigorous research on identity development, I also strive to promote more collaboration, community participation, and elevation of voices and perspectives that have been ignored. I admire that FPG has not just a legacy of making an impact, but a clear vision of moving the work forward in relevant and creative ways.

What do you hope to have accomplished five years from now?

First, which is related to my biggest challenge above, I hope to find a permanent position that allows me to continue building my work while being part of a supportive team. I feel like my research path thus far and my goals for moving forward are really coming into focus, and I hope in the coming years I find a position in which I can thrive in these goals. And second, which hopefully won’t actually take me five years to accomplish, is publishing a perspectives/theory paper on white racial identity development and parental socialization. I’ve been learning, thinking, and talking about this topic for years and I finally feel like my endless notes/outlines are going to turn into something cohesive that I can publish. I hope that this might grow into a book or something else, but only time will tell. If, in five years, I have a place where I belong and have published something on this topic, I’ll feel pretty good.