I am a social and personality psychologist with expertise in health topics. I completed my Ph.D. in Social/Personality Psychology at UC Riverside in 2016, where I worked with Dr. Kate Sweeny. I completed my B.A. in Sociology and minors in Psychology and Studio Art at UCSD in 2004 and my M.A. in Social Psychology at SDSU in 2011, where I worked with Dr. David A. Armor. My research interests are diverse but generally linked by my desire to understand and improve how people experience and manage uncertainty. People experience uncertainty in many domains – health, career, personal life – and use a variety of strategies to prepare for different outcomes while also managing their emotional responses. This line of research has led to work on future-focused preparedness behaviors and decision-making processes related to health, well-being, and end-of-life care, and I am currently exploring topics that include awe, mindfulness, self-affirmation, optimism, and health behavior change. For more, please see Research.
One of the defining aspects of academic life is training and mentoring students in the classroom, in the lab, and as an active member of the campus community and beyond. I have had the opportunity to lecture, lead discussion sections, grade exams and papers, and help students develop independent research proposals, not to mention working closely with research assistants on a variety of projects. For more, please see Teaching. I love what I do, and I constantly seek out experiences that will help me grow as a person and as a professional. During my time at UCR, I worked as a graduate intern in charge of programming and assessment at the campus wellness center and volunteered at a local hospital in patient relations and with No One Dies Alone (NODA). I have also served as a graduate student representative at SDSU and UCR, and I was the 2015-16 vice president of the SPSP Graduate Student Committee, where I worked closely with faculty and student members to expand and enrich the support structures available for students. In my free time I like to beta test health and happiness interventions with my husband, son, and our two dogs, so I can usually be found walking or running with my pack of wild animals, climbing rocks, doing yoga, meditating (poorly and for short periods of time), reading poetry and children's adventure books, doodling, sitting around a fire pit, or helping to get our Vanagon (a.k.a., "Bess the Adventure Bus") road-ready. And, of course, if I can do any or all of these things in the mountains or on a beach, that's better. Also, coffee. I enjoy coffee. Cheers! |