Dr. Emily Keener
Embracing the Complexity of Gender: An Inclusive, Feminist, & Developmental Exploration examines the multifaceted nature of gender, offering an intersectional and developmental perspective to enrich understanding and promote social justice and inclusivity.
KEY FEATURES
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Defines lifespan developmental orientation, emphasizing the immediate context and broader socio-cultural influences on gender.
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Reviews gender development theories and their contributions to understanding contemporary approaches to gender identity and expression.
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Explores how overlapping identities—including sexual orientation, race, and socioeconomic status—shape gender identity and expression.
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Bridges theory with practical examples to make gender theory accessible and relevant to diverse real-world contexts.Features visually compelling graphics and models that clarify key concepts, enhance comprehension, and bring complex ideas to life.
ABOUT
Dr. Emily Keener, a Professor of Psychology at Slippery Rock University, is a feminist psychologist whose work focuses on gender from a lifespan developmental perspective. They earned their doctorate in lifespan developmental psychology from West Virginia University, their master's in experimental psychology from Radford University, and their bachelor's degree from Wheeling Jesuit University. Dr. Keener is committed to using gender-inclusive language and thus uses they/them/their pronouns.
RESEARCH
Dr. Keener’s work focuses on the complexity of gender—how it develops, is expressed, and is interpreted within cultural, relational, and historical contexts. Their research explores distinctions among gender identity, gender expression, and sexual identity, with particular interest in how situational factors shape expression and how others perceive and respond to gendered behavior.
They are the author of the book Embracing the Complexity of Gender: An Inclusive, Feminist, & Developmental Exploration (Elsevier & APA Division 35, 2025), which introduces the Complexity Model of Gender—a new framework for understanding gender as nonbinary, multidimensional, and developing across the lifespan.
​Dr. Keener regularly publishes research in journals such as Sex Roles and Gender Issues. They co-edited a special issue of Sex Roles on masculinity and femininity with Dr. Clare Mehta, which received the Association for Women in Psychology Distinguished Publication Award in 2017. They have also served as co-editor of the Society for Women in Psychology newsletter and as Teaching Supplement Coordinator on the editorial board of Psychology of Women Quarterly.
TEACHING
Along with teaching Research Methods and Statistics, Dr. Keener regularly teaches Psychology of Women, Gender and Culture, and Human Sexual Behavior. They are passionate about promoting freedom from gender roles and helping others see that men and women are more similar than different. Their courses invite students to think critically about identity, inequality, and the systems that shape human behavior.
Dr. Keener is one of two Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Faculty Fellows at Slippery Rock University, a leadership position focused on supporting faculty in developing inclusive, equity-centered pedagogy—especially for courses with a DEI designation. This work aligns closely with their recent book, Embracing the Complexity of Gender, which translates developmental and feminist psychology into accessible tools for teaching and learning. Across roles, they are committed to helping students and educators engage more deeply with issues of gender, power, and social justice.