Past Members – Culture and Emotion Lab

Shreya Bahl, BA 2018

I am an English and Psychology double major from New Delhi, India. I am currently performing research on culture and its impact on the experience of an emotion and am particularly interested in conducting research on sleep and its impact on socio-psycho functioning. In my free time I love reading, traveling, spending time around nature and watching psych thrillers and documentaries!

Jhanelle Thomas, BA 2018

I am a Psychology and History double major from New York City. I am interested in culture and the effects it has on emotions, race relations, and every day interactions. I am also interested in the role that psychology plays in legal proceedings—ranging from accessing the accuracy of eye witness testimonies, to analyzing whether someone is psychologically fit to stand trial. Although I rarely have free time, I try to take breaks from research and readings to hang out with friends on Foss Hill and talk about all the work we’re not doing but should be.

Emma Wang, BA 2017

I am a Government and Economics double major from China. Although psychology is neither my major nor my future career, I enjoy working in psychology labs as a means of understanding human behavior and developing research skills. I am interested in emotions, romantic relationships, cross-culture interactions and behavior economics.

Samantha Ho, BA 2016

Hi, everyone! My name is Sam and I’m a senior majoring in psychology and art. A Taiwanese American hailing from the llama-lands of Lima Peru, I am passionate about anything related to Buddhism and design. My research interests include social psychology, culture, and emotion. On campus, you can find me mending books in Olin, working on my art thesis, cooking tofu, and listening to Ne-Yo.

Anna Cocuzzo, BA 2016

I am a Film Studies and Psychology double major, class of 2016, from the Boston Area. I am interested in gender, culture, and emotions, as well as PTSD, schizophrenia, and depersonalization disorder. I’ve spent most of my free time at Wes working on student film sets, and in the long run hope to apply my interest in social and cultural psychology to my work in the film industry, in particular advocating for underrepresented groups to be in front of and behind the camera.

Jordy Martino, BA 2016

I am a psychology major from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am interested in developmental and cultural psychology and how the two fields intersect with emotion in psychology. Outside of the lab, I tutor in the writing workshop, coordinate a student-run support group, and volunteer at a local preschool.

Zach Dravis (former Lab Manager) BA 2015, Psychology and Government

I hail from New Jersey and studied abroad in Amsterdam in the Spring of 2014. My particular interests lie in status and how group based emotions principles apply to international relations–specifically to national identity, decision-making, and strategic cultures.

Sarah Corner BA 2017, Psychology and English

I am an English and Psychology double major, class of 2017, and am from the San Francisco Bay Area. My current research interests include examining cross-cultural differences in the assessed value of different emotional topics, as well as the individual experience of negative emotions (sadness, grief, humiliation) affect an individual’s place within an in-group. Future interests in psychology include clinical psychology and trauma-related counseling, as well as working with children and young adults. In my free time I enjoy spending time outdoors, reading, swimming and running, baking and spending time with my family.

Ella Weiser BA 2017, Psychology and English

I am from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and now I go to school in Connecticut where I study Psychology and English. I am interested in gender, trauma, emotion, literature, creative nonfiction, and working to end the stigma faced by people with mental illness.

Rachel Pradilla BA 2015, Psychology

My name is Rachel Pradilla. I’m from Brooklyn, New York and Norfolk, Connecticut. I’m a senior psychology major interested in the development of mood disorders and how this development varies cross-culturally. I love crime shows and psychological thrillers. I always am looking for new recommendations!

Alissa Myer BA 2015, Psychology

Malibu, California

After I graduate, I am looking to work with either children or veterans, specifically in regards to mental illness. For the past two years, I have been volunteering at a therapeutic preschool in Santa Monica. I have also spent breaks volunteering at an occupational therapy center for children, an area I am considering as a possible career option. I enjoy playing musical instruments and have been an avid orchestra-member since sixth grade. In my spare time I love to bake, bike, go to the beach, spend time with my family, and play with my wonderful dog, Jake.

Hira Jafri BA 2013, MA 2014

Psychology, South Asian Studies

Middletown, CT

I love to spend my time reading, traveling, being crafty, people-watching and going on adventures. I’m interested in South Asian and Islamic art and history. My research interests focus on the same cultural regions, as well as on the development of identity, perceptions of self, art therapy, and global mental health awareness. Research projects that I have been involved with look at Muslim American communities, and South Asian diasporas. My master’s thesis will look at feminine honor, and how it is defined by people of South Asian descent.

Leslie Tan BA 2011, MA 2012 Psychology, Economics New York, NY

My line of research broadly examines culture, family, and emotions. In particular, my MA thesis focuses on the cultural variations in emotional and behavioral responses to experience where one’s family is devalued. In my free time, I enjoy sunbathing, iced chai lattes, and music festivals.After Wesleyan, I hope to expand my research experience in a clinical setting, and utilize my knowledge of culture and emotion to facilitate the treatment of psychiatric patients. Since I joined the lab in 2009, I have worked on a number of projects which focus on the following social and cultural concepts: family honor, feminine honor, perceptions of happiness and the interplay between self-image and social-image.

Tasmiah Khan 2012 Neuroscience & Behavior, Psychology Chicago, IL

My interests include social entrepreneurship, stargazing and photography. My research interests include feminine honor among South Asian women and devaluation among ethnic minorities and Muslim Americans.2012Neuroscience & Behavior, PsychologyEnfield, CTI like to play a variety of different sports and spend time with my adorable Pomeranian, Munkee. I hope to continue my education in behavioral therapy. Research projects I worked on while at Wesleyan include self and social image.2012PsychologyNew York, NYI enjoy basketball, reading, and writing poetry/performing. I loved the Culture in Psychology course, which is why I chose my current research on self-images I am looking to pursue a Masters in Psychology.2012EconomicsWarsaw, PolandResearch projects I worked on while at Wesleyan include the friendship study and shame study, examining which cultures experienced and perceived shame more intensely on a group or self level. After Wesleyan I am going to work for Deloitte Consulting.2013Psychology, Science in SocietyAustin, TXI really enjoy dancing, photography, and hiking. I love learning languages and traveling. I’m interested in the role of emotions in society, particularly in how they influence prosocial behavior and are incorporated inot our construction of purpose in life. Research projects I’ve worked on at Wesleyan include the friendship study looking at real and perceived social image among friends.2013Psychology, College of Social StudiesGreat Barrington, MAMy general interests include the psychoIogy of citizenship, the sociology of power structures, international relations, facilitating, dialogue, and freedom and agency. I also play a lot of pickup basketball and enjoy hiking, biking, and being outside. I have worked on projects about family honor, and self image versus social image.2014Neuroscience & Behavior, PsychologyHonolulu, HII sing opera, bellydance and love attending music festivals. I’m interested in Korean and Japanese society and the variance in subjective experiences of emotion across cultures. My research interests include humiliation and psycho-physiology with applications to clinical psychology. I hope to attend medicalschool with a specialization in psychiatry.

Leah Lucid 2010

Psychology

Santa Monica, CA

I am interested in working with children, clinical psychology, access to healthcare and education, and international travel. I am focused on clinical psychology research specific to children, families and trauma. I currently work with troubled adolescent girls in a residential treatment program and volunteer as a research assistant in a psychology lab focused on treating children with depression, anxiety, PTSD and conduct disorder. I worked, on two studies in this lab “Children’s Emotions and Parents’ Values” and “Emotional Expressions of Devaluation in Adults” as well as Sarah Carney’s Cheshire lab for one semester. I also had the honor of completing a senior honors thesis under Patricia’s supervision.

Katie DiBona 2011

Psychology, Feminist Gender & Sexuality Studies

Garden City, NY

My research interests include gender, culture, emotions, and more specifically, how one’s culture and gender affect one’s emotional experiences. While at Wesleyan, I worked on projects relating to sexism gender, and trans identities. Currently I am living in Brooklyn, working at a coffee shop, cooking yummy foods and reading books.

Ray Edwards BA 2010, MA 2011

Psychology, Religion

I am interested in raising interpersonal and institutional conscientiousness of the subtle ways in which we sustain opressive cognitive models of social perceptions in day-to-day interactions.

Studies I worked on while at Wesleyan include “Responding to Gender-Based Devaluation: The Relationship Between Microagressions, Emotion and Coping Strategies in women and Gemder Non-Conforming Individuals” and “Group Identification, Personal Self-Esteem and Collective Self-Esteem as Predictors of Affective Response to Religious Microagressions Directed Towards Muslims in the United States.” I also worked in the Wesleyan Digital Archives of Psychology.

I am currently working with researchers at CUNY’s John Jay College on several projects related to racial and ethnic, as well as gender and sexual orientation-based microagressions. I am also serving as Survey Coordinator for an upcoming textbook entitled “Trans Bodies, Trans Selves.” Next year I will be entering Columbia University’s program in Psychology. I am braodly concerned with working to integrate structural elements of queer theory and gender theory into empirical practices in research psychology.

When Ray is not surveying people or crunching numbers, they are writing pop music under the name “Little Lion.”

Shipra Panicker 2011

Psychology

Tulsa, OK

My research interests include culture and emotion research! Which is perfect because I worked in the culture and emotion lab. Otherwise, I like reading, traveling and spending time with friends, and exploring NYC! I worked on on feminine honor while at Wesleyan. Whoo hoo!

Sydney Hausman-Cohen, 2013

I am interested in work and research that connects human behavior, health, and the environment. While at Wesleyan, I worked with on research regarding real and perceived social image among friends. I currently work in environmental policy at the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), a non-profit organization in Boston which works to ensure that manufacturers share responsibility for reducing the health and environmental impacts of the products they produce. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, running, traveling, and generally getting to know Boston.

Heather Miura 2014
Neuroscience & Behavior, Psychology; Honolulu, HI

I sing opera, bellydance and love attending music festivals. I’m interested in Korean and Japanese society and the variance in subjective experiences of emotion across cultures. My research interests include humiliation and psycho-physiology with applications to clinical psychology. I hope to attend medical school with a specialization in psychiatry.

Chelsea Aiken

Matthew Figueroa

Gabriel Rossman

Matthew Engel