As a psychologist, the focus of Mangelsdorf's research has been on the social and emotional development of infants and toddlers. Mangelsdorf was
provost at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she was credited with advancing fundraising, coping with budget cuts, improving the school's overall ranking, successfully retaining key faculty members, and improving relations with the state of Wisconsin. Her responsibilities at Madison included oversight of all academic programs for its twelve colleges and schools, including budgeting. She is the first woman to hold that post. ==Personal life==