As teaching faculty, I do not run a research lab, but the courses I teach within social psychology – especially research methods lab and close relationships – reflect my research training and expertise. Some of my work broadens the conceptualization of what it means to belong by integrating literatures that crosscut psychological perspectives and theories. For instance, the development of close relationships, striving for general approbation, belonging to groups, and having minor social interactions can all influence a sense of belonging as well as interact with one another. Some of my other work emphasizes how relational processes shape people's emotional worlds via the way emotions serve as powerful signals to the self and to others about one's needs. The nature of our relationships shape who we express to and what we express which, in turn, shapes that relational bond.
- BS, Carnegie Mellon University
- PhD, Yale University
