Brian Little

This information is accurate as of the fellowship year indicated for each fellow.

Brian R. Little, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, is engaged in a five-year longitudinal study of women, work, and well-being. While fulfilling his Radcliffe fellowship, he will access the Murray Research Center's data archives to continue analysis and writing on his longitudinal study. For his book project, “Personal Projects and Free Traits: Lives, Liberties, and the Happiness of Pursuit,” he defines personal projects as extended sets of personally salient action, ranging from “taking out the garbage” to “taking out my political opponent.” His research shows that content, dynamics, and impact of personal projects play a pivotal role in personality and human development.

He earned a PhD in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to his appointment at Carleton, he taught and conducted research at Oxford University, the University of Victoria, and the University of British Columbia.

Little was a Commonwealth Scholar and faculty member at Oxford University before teaching at Carleton University. He has received numerous honors and distinctions, most recently a Canadian Psychological Association Fellowship and a Marston LaFrance Research Fellowship from Carleton University. He has also received various teaching awards, including the 3M Fellowship for Excellence in University Teaching and the Carleton University Teaching Achievement Award.