Sauro Civitillo is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science at the European Research Centre on Migration and Ethnic Relations (ERCOMER). His research lies at the intersection of educational, developmental, and social psychologies. Broadly, his work explores how teaching practices and school contextual characteristics shape youth’s development and academic success. More specifically, he investigates (1) how teachers become culturally responsive educators and address inequities in schools, and (2) how adolescents navigate constraints and barriers (e.g., interpersonal racial and ethnic discrimination, stereotypes and prejudice in school) to express their potential. His research has been published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, Educational Research Review, Teaching and Teacher Education, and Contemporary Educational Psychology, among other outlets.

Before joining Utrecht University, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. He received a Ph.D in education from the University of Potsdam, an MSc Research from Radboud University Nijmegen, an M.A from University of Groningen, an M.A and a B.A. from La Sapienza University in Rome.