Abbie Goldberg

Abbie E. Goldberg is an American professor of Gender Studies. She is currently a Professor of Psychology and Director of Women's and Gender Studies at Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts (since 2005). She teaches courses on family diversity, research methods with diverse families, human sexuality, the psychology of sexual orientation, and ethics in clinical psychology.

Goldberg received a B.A. from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, in 1999, and an M.S. in Psychology and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, in 2001 and 2005, respectively. 

After finishing her education, in 2005, Goldberg joined Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, as an Assistant Professor of Psychology. In 2011, she became an Associate Professor and in 2018, a full Professor. In addition, she was the Director of Clinical Training, Psychology in 2014-2017. Since 2018, she is the Director of Women and Gender Studies at Clark University.

Her research focuses on parenthood, relationship quality, and well-being in diverse families (e.g., adoptive parent families, lesbian/gay parent families) in an effort to increase our understanding of family diversity. Her research is financially supported by the American Psychological Association, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Williams Institute, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, the National Institutes of Health, and the Spencer Foundation. 

Her major interests include adoptive families; open adoption; transracial adoption; foster care; reproductive technologies; gay/lesbian parenting; human sexuality; family diversity; the transition to parenthood; the division of labor; gender and parenthood; schools and diverse families; schools and trans/gender nonconforming individuals.

• Open adoption and diverse families: Complex relationships in the digital age. New York, NY: Oxford. (2019)
• Gay dads: Transitions to adoptive fatherhood. New York, NY: New York University Press. (2012)
• Lesbian and gay parents and their children: Research on the family life cycle. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. (2010)

• 2020- The Jan and Larry Landry University Professor, Clark University (endowed chair; 3 years)
• 2019- Faculty Affiliate, Rudd Adoption Research Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 2018 Winner, 2017 Distinguished Education Research Article, Association for Childhood
• Education International (ACEI)
• 2017-2018 Graduate, Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology (LIWP), American Psychological
• Association
• 2017 Lee Gurel/John E. Bell Faculty Mentor Award in Psychology, Clark University
• 2017- Research Scholar (Appointed), National Center on Adoption and Permanency (NCAP)
• 2017 Best Reference Title of 2016 (Social Sciences), Library Journal
• 2017 Top 50 Journal Article Reviewer in 2016 for Family Relations journal
• 2016 2016 Distinguished Book Award, Division 44 of the American Psychological Association
• 2014 American Psychological Association Div. 44 Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution
• 2013-2015 Visiting Scholar, The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law
• 2011-2015 Senior Research Fellow, Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
• 2010 2010 Distinguished Book Award, Division 44 of the American Psychological Association
• 2007 Outstanding Research Paper from a Feminist Perspective Award, National Council on
• Family Relations
• 2007 Recipient, Hodgkins Junior Faculty Award (research and teaching), Clark University
• 2006-2007 Exceptional Merit Award, Clark University
• 2004-2005 Lesbian Psychologies Manuscript Award, Association for Women in Psychology
• 2002 Outstanding Research Proposal from a Feminist Perspective Award, National Council on
• Family Relations
• 1999 Intramural Research Training Award, National Institutes of Health
• 1999 Phi Beta Kappa, Wesleyan University
• 1999 Recipient, the Holzberg Fellowship (scholarship and research), Wesleyan University
• 1998 Recipient, Hughes Scientific Research Fellowship, Wesleyan University