Mari Kira

I am an Assistant Professor in the Personality and Social Contexts area of the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a docent of Organizational Behavior at the Aalto University School of Science in Finland. After completing my PhD at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, I have held positions as a European Commission Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Kassel in Germany, an Academy Research Fellow at the Aalto University School of Science in Finland, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Giessen in Germany.

Drawing from personality, positive psychology, and organizational psychology, I investigate adult psychological growth that can arise from coping with work-related adversities. Additionally, I examine the concept of well-being in challenging life circumstances, such as forced displacement, and identify strategies and resources that promote individuals’ well-being in such situations. My research focuses on understanding people’s lives within social structures and systems, demonstrating how theories and concepts in psychology become more meaningful and powerful when grounded in relevant social contexts.

Pronouns: she/her