Jasna Jovanovic

Professor & Chair

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Contact Information

• Office: 47-24C
• Phone: (805) 756-2033
• Email: jjovanov@calpoly.edu
• Full Vita

Education

• Ph.D., M.S., Human Development & Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University
• B.S., Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana

Courses Taught

• CD/Psy 306 Adolescence
• CD 329 Research Methods in Child Development
• CD 350 Developmental Issues in Education
• PSY 256 Developmental Psychology

Research Interests

My general interest is the socialization of gender differences.  In other words, why are boys and girls, men and women, different?   My research has addressed the issue of gender differences in school achievement.  Right now in the U.S there is considerable concern regarding the underachievement of girls and women in math and science.  The general belief is that girls are shortchanged in school and at home where they are afforded fewer opportunities than boys to interact with teachers/parents in academically meaningful ways.  These early gender inequities continue as girls/women move through the educational pipeline leading to careers in STEM (i.e., science, technology, engineering and math). This is particularly true for underrepresented minority women in STEM. My work therefore examines how varying aspects of males and females’ social context together or alone contribute to the gender differential achievement patterns that persist in our nation's educational system

Selected Publications/Professional Activities

• Jovanovic, J., & Williams, J. C. (2018). Gender, sexual agency, and friends with benefits relationships. Sexuality & Culture, 22, 555-576.
• Armstrong, M. A., & Jovanovic, J. (2017). The intersectional matrix: Rethinking institutional change for URM women in STEM. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 10, 216-231.
• Armstrong, M. A. & Jovanovic, J. (2015). Starting at the crossroads: Intersectional approaches to institutionally supporting underrepresented minority women  STEM faculty. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 21, 141-157.
• Williams, J.C. & Jovanovic, J. (2015). Third wave feminism and emerging adult sexuality: Friends with benefits relationships. Sexuality & Culture, 19, 157-171.
• Jovanovic, J. & Armstrong, M.A. (2014). Mission possible: Empowering institutions with strategies for change. Peer Review, 16.