I graduated from Gonzaga in 2011. Currently, I am a second year PhD student in Social Psychology at Arizona State University. My research centers around how specific positive emotions help facilitate relationships between different groups of people.
"While I loved every minute of my time in Chicago, working in a business setting helped solidify my desire to get my PhD and pursue a career in academia."
While a student in Psychology at Gonzaga, I went to Zambia to study chimpanzees at Chimfunshi with Dr. Bodamer; was involved in Dr. Bartlett’s lab as a research assistant and lab manager; and took numerous classes from a variety of professors. Some of my favorite courses included Dr. Bartlett’s Social Psychology and Human Flourishing, and Dr. Medina’s Advanced Research Methods and Emotion. I absolutely loved being involved in the Psychology department at Gonzaga.
After graduation, I attended the University of Chicago and received my M.A. in Psychology in 2012. I then spent the next two years living in Chicago, working as a research analyst at an executive search firm, Spencer Stuart. While I loved every minute of my time in Chicago (yes, even the freezing winters), my time working in a business setting helped solidify my desire to get my PhD and pursue a career in academia.
In the fall of 2014, I packed away my winter coats, pulled out my sunscreen and made the move from ‘polar-vortex’ Chicago to the desert of Tempe, Arizona. As I begin my 2nd year in my PhD program in the Social Psychology department of ASU, I am still absolutely in love with doing research and teaching. I firmly believe in the tenants of a liberal arts education, and attribute my excitement about psychological research to the GU psychology faculty’s dedication to the success of their students. I would love to be able to offer that same level of inspiration and guidance to my own students one day by teaching at a university similar to Gonzaga. GO ZAGS!