Research Interests

Racial and Gender Identity

We have several projects in the lab interested in racial and gender identity. How people perceive their own identities and how their identity is perceived by others can have a very large impact on one’s life. We conduct research asking questions such as (1) How do the intersection of race and gender affect how people respond to the world around them?  and (2) How are online dating preferences affected by race and gender?

Systemic Racism

Systemic racism is an important issue that is not yet widely studied in the field of psychology. In the lab we have conducted research asking what shapes people’s perceptions of systemic racism (do people view it as persistent or malleable?) and what the consequences of believing that systemic racism is persistent or not.

Fostering Middle School Girls’ Interest in STEM

How can we make STEM a more attractive and meaningful option for adolescent girls and boys alike? This project focuses on how to establish best practices for boosting girls’ belonging in STEM, while bolstering boys’ respect for girls’ abilities.​​​​​​​ To combat obstacles girls may face in pursuing a STEM career, we test interventions that: (1) change boys’ beliefs about girls via implicit bias training and presenting real evidence that test scores underestimate girls’ abilities, (2) expose girls to successful role models who share their values and preferences, and (3) encourage girls to identify with STEM by recognizing that a STEM career can help them accomplish some of their most cherished goals. We currently conduct this work in collaboration with the Columbus Center of Science and Industry (COSI), Dr. Hilary Bergsieker, and Dr. Steve Wright’s labs.