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Jennifer M. Pipitone, PhD

Photo of Professor Jennifer Pipitone crossing her arms and standing in front of a grassy hill
Associate Professor of Psychology
PhD, City University of New York
MPhil, City University of New York
MA, City University of New York
BA, Loyola University New Orleans

 

[email protected]
Founders Hall 434

Areas of Interest

  • Social and environmental inequality
  • Multicultural encounters
  • Sense of place and belonging
  • Experiential education
  • Qualitative visual methods

Dr. Jennifer M. Pipitone is an environmental psychologist specializing in urban multicultural settings, with a focus on how young people experience and navigate social power dynamics. Her research integrates qualitative and participatory visual methods, such as photovoice, to examine how interactions with the environment can shape identity and sense of belonging. Over the past decade, she has explored how place-based approaches can be used to challenge power structures and advance social and environmental justice within study abroad, community-based, and environmental education programs. In her People in Place (PiP) Research Lab, Dr. Pipitone mentors students in qualitative analysis of text and visual data while fostering their professional development.

Dr. Pipitone believes teaching is at the core of social change. In the classroom, she applies experiential and inclusive pedagogies to help students to connect coursework to everyday life and envision pathways toward a just and sustainable future. She co-developed and co-directs the Environmental Studies Minor and was recognized for her dedication to student engagement with the Mount’s 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Professional Affiliations

  • Associate Editor, Journal of Experiential Education
  • Eastern Psychological Association (EPA)
  • Jean Piaget Society (JPS)
  • Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)
  • Psi Chi: National Honor Society in Psychology

Selected Publications

Jović, S., & Pipitone, J. M. (2024). Resistance and transformative possibilities: New York City youth’s photo-narrative exploration of belonging and othering. Human Arenas, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-024-00428-z

Pipitone, J. M., & Jović, S. (2022). Urban nature and sense of belonging: Photo-narrative exploration of socio-spatial disparities in New York City. Ecopsychology, 14(4), 235-252. https://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2021.0056

Saphan, L., & Pipitone, J. M. (2022). “New York City in Transformation,” Streetnotes, 29, 1-169. [co-editor] https://escholarship.org/uc/ucdavislibrary_streetnotes/29/0

Pipitone, J. M., & Jović, S. (2021). Urban green equity and COVID-19: Effects on use and sense of belonging in New York City. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 65, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127338

Pipitone, J. M., & Raghavan, C. (2020). Art as a cultural tool: Deconstructing exotified notions of Balinese society during an American study abroad programme. Pedagogy, Culture, & Society, 30(5), 659-680. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2020.1844788

Pipitone, J. M. (2018). Place as pedagogy: Toward study abroad for social change. Journal of Experiential Education, 41(1), 54-74. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053825917751509

Recent Conference Presentations

*Frierson, B., *Yaker, S., & Pipitone, J. M. (2024). Photovoice as Pedagogy: Exploring Student Perspectives on Campus Green Spaces. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) Annual Conference (February 29-March 2), Philadelphia, PA.  *student presenters

Pipitone, J. M., & Jović, S. (2023). Youth’s Sense Making about Socio-spatial Disparities in New York City through their Perceptions of Urban Nature: Politics and Possibilities in a Post-pandemic World. Paper presented at the European Sociological Association (ESA) Mid-Term Conference (September 20-23), Santa Margherita di Pula, Sardinia, Italy.

Pipitone, J. M., & Jović, S. (2022). Youth’s Sense of Belonging and Perceptions of Urban Nature in New York City. Paper presented at Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) Conference (June 24-26), San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Pipitone, J. M., & Jović, S. (2022). New York City Youth’s Sense Making about Belonging and Othering through their Perceptions of Urban Nature. Paper presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) Conference (March 3-5), New Orleans, LA.

Pipitone, J. M. (2022). Place-based Pedagogy and Intercultural Learning in the Virtual Era: Politics and Possibilities. Invited Plenary Address at International Conference on the Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence (January 27-30), Tucson, AZ.