Research Experience
I have several years of experience in undergraduate-level research. I have worked within the disciplines of Cognitive Neuroscience, Substance Use and Co-occurring Disorders, and Social Psychology. My current research interests include: cultural and socioeconomic interaction with psychological research, psychological richness and its effect on mental well-being, and long-lasting consequences of adverse childhood experiences.
UF's Perception, Attention, and Consciousness Lab
I worked with Dr. Brian Odegaard and his team at the Perception, Attention, and Consciousness Laboratory all throughout my first year at the University of Florida. During that time, I contributed to several studies involving the analysis of visual perception and multisensory cognition. I gained experience by collaborating on the experiment design process, running participants and analyzing their data on MATLAB, and writing/editing drafts of the manuscripts we aimed to publish within the lab. Eventually, I was able to publish an article focusing on color diversity within the peripheral vision field, and I was able to present my findings at various research conferences around the world (virtually, since this project coincided with the rise of the Coronavirus pandemic).
Florida Mental Health Institute's Summer Research Program
In the summer of 2021, I joined FMHI's Summer Research Institute within the University of South Florida's College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. I was paired with Dr. Tom Massey to conduct an analysis on mental health awareness and substance use prevention programs within high schools across the United States. Throughout this program, I attended various workshops led by FMHI staff and alumni regarding IRB practices, various data analysis platforms, and career opportunities in the field of psychological research. My fellow scholars and I were also given various opportunities to participate in a community rotation of substance use services in the Tampa Bay Area to learn more about the practical implications of the research we were conducting.
The Florida Social & Emotional Cognition Lab
I worked with Dr. Erin Westgate for 3 years in the Florida Social & Emotional Cognition Laboratory. During that time, I contributed to several studies involving the analysis of boredom, meaning in life, psychological richness, and affective forecasting. I completed my senior thesis on the connection between subjective well-being and external stimuli with the help of Dr. Westgate and her graduate student Ashley Krause, earning Magna Cum Laude upon completion of my bachelor's degree. I was able to present my thesis at several research conferences including the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference in Miami, FL and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology's annual meeting in Atlanta, GA.
