Dustin Thoman, Ph.D.

Dustin Thoman is the California Research Director at the Motivate Lab and a Professor of Psychology and member of the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education at San Diego State University. His research focuses on how and why people develop interest and sustain motivation for specific academic domains, careers, and other lifelong pursuits. He studies how motivation can be supported or disrupted by the social and cultural contexts in which interests are sparked, developed, and ultimately integrated (or not) with one’s identity. He utilizes insights from motivation science to broaden participation in STEM by identifying and removing institutional and social-contextual barriers that impede the development of educational and career interests for students from stigmatized and historically underrepresented backgrounds.  

Dustin earned his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Utah in 2008 and B.S. in Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University in 2002.

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