Brian Lowery, PhD

Brian Lowery is a social psychologist who focuses on the way relationships shape who we are and can be, with a particular interest in the way we find meaning in life. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and his PhD from the University of California at Los Angeles.

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He has been on faculty at Stanford University since 2002. At Stanford he has served in numerous leadership roles. In addition to having served as a Senior Associate Dean, Brian led the iconic Interpersonal Dynamics course (AKA Touchy Feely) at the Stanford GSB as well as the Arbuckle Leadership Fellows program. Brian also created and currently heads the Leadership for Society program and the Black Leaders Program, and is a founding co-Director of the Stanford Institute for Advancing Just Societies.

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Brian is the author of the book Selfless: The Social Creation of You. His book makes the case that our selves are created in both deep and fleeting relationships and social interactions. In so doing, he pushes against the idea of radical individualism and makes the case for deeper investment in the communities that nurture us all.

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Brian also hosts the podcast Know What You See. In his podcast he interviews people from a variety of fields and walks of life to deepen our appreciation for the experiences that make us all human.

Brian’s academic research spans a variety of topics and has been published in a number of prestigious professional journals. His earliest work examined the ways even fleeting relationships can affect non-conscious associations. He has also explored the way unearned social privileges affect people perceived to belong to privileged groups. More recently his work examines the way individuals understand inequality, and how thinking in terms of advantage or disadvantage changes their experience of inequality.

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Currently his interest centers on the way relationships shape our experience of meaning in life. In all of his work there is an unwavering belief that who we are and the ways we move through life are fundamentally tied to our connections with others.

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Outside of work Brian seeks to engage deeply in life and enjoys exploring activities that offer the promise of self-insight and wonder.