Pearl Han Li

I am an incoming Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For the 2024-2025 academic year, I will work at University of Wisconsin-Madison as an Anna Julia Cooper Fellow.

I received my Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Institute of Child Development (ICD), University of Minnesota, where I studied social cognitive development under the mentorship of Dr. Melissa Koenig. I then worked as a Post-doctoral Associate with Dr. Tamar Kushnir and Dr. Michael Tomasello at Duke University. My research program focuses on children’s moral development and social learning across cultures and in diverse social contexts.

I was born and raised in mainland China, and received my Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communications from Peking University. In college, I got interested topics related to whether children and adults are susceptible to misinformation. This led me to pursue a Ed.M at Harvard Graduate School of Education where I worked with Dr. Paul L. Harris.

As someone who comes from a non-traditional background, I am deeply committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in academia. My goal is to cultivate an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to explore their academic and professional interests.