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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

 

jennifer.pipitone@umsv.edu

Dr. Pipitone’s research program explores the human-environment relationship in multicultural settings locally and abroad, with the overarching goal of promoting public good. An environmental psychologist by training, she has conducted research in several contexts including: study abroad programs in Morocco and Bali; community-based action research in the South Bronx; and her current work explores sense of belonging in New York City, with a focus on urban green spaces. Theoretically informed by environmental and sociocultural psychology, her work is guided by the principle that psychological processes are relational and contextually embedded—our behavior and cultural values shape our environment, and our surroundings, in turn, affect us. To this end, Dr. Pipitone engages with diverse qualitative, visual, and participatory research methodologies. In her People in Places (PiP) Research Lab, Dr. Pipitone trains students in the qualitative analysis of text and visual data while supporting their professional development.

Dr. Pipitone advocates for the development of culturally-sensitive and socially-conscious curricula not only in study abroad programs, but also across local campuses. In her courses, she constructs curricula that help students critically examine the dynamic relationship between humans and their environment through experiential, place-based pedagogies. Treating New York City as a living laboratory, Dr. Pipitone’s students complete projects that contextualize course material while addressing the intertwining of social, cultural, and environmental issues.

Areas of Interest

  • Social and spatial (in)equity
  • Multicultural and experiential pedagogies
  • Environmental psychology
  • Urban green spaces

Courses

  • PSYC 103 Introduction to Psychology I
  • PSYC 104 Introduction to Psychology II
  • PSYC 240 Psychology of Women
  • PSYC 365 Multicultural Psychology
  • PSYC 390 Environmental Psychology
  • PSYC 450 Capstone: Psychology

Honors and Awards

Teacher of the Year: Dennis J. Enright Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Mount Saint Vincent, 2020-2021

Selected Publications

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. Click to view

Saphan, L., Pipitone, J. M., Vieira, A., Perez-Rios, E., & Francisco, R. (2022). Outdoor dining and the transformation of public space in New York City. Streetnotes, 29, 40-72.  Click to view

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. Click to view

Pipitone, J. M., & Raghavan, C. (2020). Art as cultural tool: Deconstructing exotified notions of Balinese society during an American study abroad programme. Pedagogy, Culture, & Society, 30(5), 659-680. Click to view

Pipitone, J. M. (2018). Place as pedagogy: Toward study abroad for social change. Journal of Experiential Education, 41(1), 54-74. Click to view

Nicols-Grinenko, A., Verni, R. B., Pipitone, J. M., Bowman, C. P., Quinones-Jenab, V. (2017). Building a culture of undergraduate research: A case study.  SPUR-Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research, 1(2), 43-51. Email for copy

Pipitone, J. M. and Raghavan, C. (2017). Socio-spatial analysis of study abroad student experiences in/of place in Morocco. Journal of Experiential Education, 40(3), 264-278. Click to view

Co-edited Special Issue

Saphan, L., & Pipitone, J. M. (2022). “New York City in Transformation.”Streetnotes, 29, 1-169. Click to view

Invited Plenary Address

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

Symposia Organized

Pipitone, J. M. & Jović, S. (2019). Negotiating Public Space in New York City. Symposium at the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) Conference (May 22-26), Brooklyn, NY.

Pipitone, J. M. (2019). Critical Perspectives on Study Abroad: Educating for Social Change. Symposium at the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) Annual Meeting (February 28-March 2), New York, NY.

Editorial Board
Journal of Experiential Education