Erica Molinario is an Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at Florida Gulf Coast University. At Jagiellonian University, she serves as Principal Investigator of the NCN SONATA 16 project, "How Frustration of Basic and Higher-Order Needs Affects Extremism and Radicalization vs. Cohesion and Prosociality," and the NCN OPUS 29 project, "Going Green to Be Seen: How Social Influence and the Need for Recognition Drive Environmental Engagement." She is also the Jagiellonian University team leader for the ERASMUS+ KA2 project "ELCRA – Environmental Literacy in Higher Education Context for Preventing Radicalization in Climate Activism."

Dr. Molinario’s research broadly focuses on understanding pro-environmental behaviors, political activism, extremism and radicalization, migration intentions, and intergroup conflicts. She examines these topics from a motivational perspective, exploring needs, goals, social identity, values, and social norms. Within the Behavior in Crises Lab, she conducts studies on perceptions of refugees, their needs, and migration intentions.