Previous Graduate Students
Elaine Dicicco
Elaine earned her Ph.D. in Psychology & Women’s Studies in 2016. Her work focuses on how black women’s anger may be perceived as strong/agentic and/or hostile, given intersecting race and gender stereotypes.
Matthew Zawadzki
Matthew earned his Ph.D. in Psychology & Women’s Studies and Specialization in Cognitive & affective Science in 2012. After a post-doc with Josh Smythe at Penn State, he will take a position as Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Merced in July 2014.
Leah Warner
Leah was the first student in psychology to graduate with the dual-title degree in Psychology and Women’s Studies in 2006. Leah is currently Associate Professor of Psychology at Ramapo College of New Jersey.
Previous Research Assistants
Chelsea McGhee
Research Assistant for the 2016-2017 academic year and an Honor's thesis student from 2016-2017 academic year. Chelsea is a senior at The Pennsylvania State University double majoring in Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies while minoring in theatre. She is specifically interested in social cognitions and the social constructs of gender and race binaries. After PSU, she plans to pursue grad school and conduct research towards the aim of developing more effective public policy initiatives on the behalf of women and/or other minorities. Outside of her coursework, Chelsea can be found organizing feminist activist events on campus, designing the lighting for theatrical productions, or curled up in a sunny corner with a good book.
Katie Helfand
Research Assistant for the 2016-2017 academic year. Katie is a senior at The Pennsylvania State University. She is a Psychology major who plans on going to graduate school for psychology to obtain a Master's degree. She is primarily interested in clinical, social, and feminist psychology. She hopes to work with women's organizations, as well as organizations that work to fight against, and end injustices facing minority groups. In her free time she enjoys watching movies, singing, and traveling the world.
Riley Hellings
Research Assistant for the 2016-2017 academic year. Riley is a senior at The Penn State University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sexuality and Gender Studies. After Penn State, Riley hopes to attend graduate school to earn a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology as well as a certificate in sexuality and gender studies. Riley is very passionate about helping others, and would love to have a career in Counseling Psychology helping LGBTQA adolescents. When Riley is not studying you will find her performing all types of volunteer work with her national service sorority Gamma Sigma Sigma, spending time with her THON organization FOTO and their two THON children, and also supporting the PSU women’s volleyball team as the co-president of the student section.
Riley Hellings
Research Assistant for the 2016-2017 academic year. Riley is a senior at The Penn State University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sexuality and Gender Studies. After Penn State, Riley hopes to attend graduate school to earn a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology as well as a certificate in sexuality and gender studies. Riley is very passionate about helping others, and would love to have a career in Counseling Psychology helping LGBTQA adolescents. When Riley is not studying you will find her performing all types of volunteer work with her national service sorority Gamma Sigma Sigma, spending time with her THON organization FOTO and their two THON children, and also supporting the PSU women’s volleyball team as the co-president of the student section.
Rachel Sorrentino
Research Assistant for the 2016-2017 academic year. Rachel is a senior at the Pennsylvania State University majoring in psychology. She is most interested in research examining gender, sexuality and the mental health of women and LGBTQA individuals affected by aggression. After graduation, she plans on obtaining a Master’s in degree in Counseling. She is primarily interested in working with survivors of abuse, violence, and trauma. Apart from her education, Rachel also enjoys volunteering at a local animal shelter, playing music, and video games.
Rachel Sorrentino
Research Assistant for the 2016-2017 academic year. Rachel is a senior at the Pennsylvania State University majoring in psychology. She is most interested in research examining gender, sexuality and the mental health of women and LGBTQA individuals affected by aggression. After graduation, she plans on obtaining a Master’s in degree in Counseling. She is primarily interested in working with survivors of abuse, violence, and trauma. Apart from her education, Rachel also enjoys volunteering at a local animal shelter, playing music, and video games.
Janie Johnson
Research Assistant 2014-2016. Janie is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Germany. She graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology at The Pennsylvania State University, where she also minored in Anthropology, Sexuality and Gender Studies. She is interested in taking a biopsychosocial approach to both her research and academic interests, with a focus on the interaction between Evolutionary Psychology and Social Psychology on human sexuality and gender issues. She attended Oklahoma State University’s National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Program in Summer of 2015. Outside of Psychology, she enjoys drawing and photography, exploring the outdoors, and traveling to new places.
Julianna Axworthy
Research Assistant for the 2015-2016 academic year. Julianna is a senior at The Pennsylvania State University, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Women’s Studies. After PSU, she plans to pursue grad school and achieve her Master’s degree. She is interested in connecting Social Psychology with Women’s Studies, focusing on social inequalities and media misrepresentation. Julianna loves to play sports, pursue dancing, travel and explore new cultures and places, and to socialize with her friends and family.
Crystal Harris
Research Assistant Spring 2016. After she takes her gap year, Crystal plans to pursue graduate school. She plans to enroll in a social psychology graduate program to focus on Gender and Sexuality. In her spare time, Crystal loves watching movies, and considers herself a film fanatic. She also enjoys hanging out with friends and reading books in local bookstores.
Christina Nguyen
Research Assistant bewteen 2013 and 2015. Christina majored in Psychology with a Business Option and minored in Sexuality and Gender Studies at The Pennsylvania State University . She is interested in the developmental experiences that minorities have in relationship to their intersectional identities. She is currently in the process of looking for jobs and intends to have a career in HR where she has brought multiculturalism into the workplace. Outside of Psychology, Christina runs different programs for first-year undergraduate students through Residence Life and the Schreyer Honors College. Christina is excited to leave Penn State with her honors thesis and a recurring honors leadership undergraduate course that she is currently developing with the Schreyer Honors College.
Research Assistant bewteen 2013 and 2015. Christina majored in Psychology with a Business Option and minored in Sexuality and Gender Studies at The Pennsylvania State University . She is interested in the developmental experiences that minorities have in relationship to their intersectional identities. She is currently in the process of looking for jobs and intends to have a career in HR where she has brought multiculturalism into the workplace. Outside of Psychology, Christina runs different programs for first-year undergraduate students through Residence Life and the Schreyer Honors College. Christina is excited to leave Penn State with her honors thesis and a recurring honors leadership undergraduate course that she is currently developing with the Schreyer Honors College.
Shelley Eisenberg
Research Assistant bewteen 2013 and 2015. Shelley majored in Psychology and minored in Sexuality and Gender studies at The Pennsylvania State University . She enjoys researching topics involved with Gender and Sexuality and plans to obtain her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity track. She hopes to become a Psychologist involved with empowering women and assisting members of the LGBT community. Aside from Psychology, Shelley enjoys traveling, reading, watching Netflix and playing with dogs.
Shelley Eisenberg
Research Assistant bewteen 2013 and 2015. Shelley majored in Psychology and minored in Sexuality and Gender studies at The Pennsylvania State University . She enjoys researching topics involved with Gender and Sexuality and plans to obtain her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity track. She hopes to become a Psychologist involved with empowering women and assisting members of the LGBT community. Aside from Psychology, Shelley enjoys traveling, reading, watching Netflix and playing with dogs.
Kiauhna Hayes
Research Assistant in 2012-2013. Kiauhna earned her BA at Penn State in Psychology through the biological evolutionary option. She is interested in the effects of racial stereotypes on social behaviors when placed in diverse environments. After graduation she plans to attend a clinical psychology graduate program to earn her Ph.D.
Sydney Bickford
Research Assistant between 2012 and 2013. Sydeny earned her Penn State BS in Psychology with a business focus. She plans to attend graduate school and earn her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Sydney spends her free time reading, watching sci-fi, and playing with Sammy, her cat.
Caroline Kelsey
Lab Manager in 2012-2013. Caroline has a dual BS in Biology and Psychology. She plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. In her free time she loves to watch cooking shows and go to the gym.
Dana Thau
Research Assistant between 2012 and 2013. Dana earned her BA in Psychology and minor in Spanish. She plans to continue her studies in graduate school focusing on School Psychology. Dana spent her Spring 2012 semester studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina and enjoys taking dance classes in her free time.
Alicia Doorey
Research Assistant in 2012-2013. Alicia earned her BA in Psychology and a minor in Italian at Penn State. She plans to pursue a doctorate in socual psychology. After spending last spring semester studying abroad in Macerata, Italy, she enjoys practicing her Italian cooking skills. Other hobbies of hers include reading, running and making crafts with friends.
Manisha Sharma Tiwari
Research Assistant in 2012-2013. Manisha is working on focus group studies and is interested in coping strategies of South Asian women. She is also interested in exploring gender and emotion and how psycho-social dynamics work in such contexts. She has a Master's in Psychology and plans to attend graduate school for doctoral studies. In the future she wishes to run a coffee house.
Amanda Martens
Intern in June 2012. Amanda is an Experimental Master's student at Emporia State University in Kansas. She joined the lab to explore her interests in Social Psychology and Women's Studies before she applies to Ph.D. programs.
Brittany Kriebel
Research Assistant between 2011-2012. Brittany is planning to attend Duquesne University School of Law. She hopes to earn a law degree in three years and work in Pittsburgh, PA. In her spare time she enjoys the company of her friends, family, and two dogs.
Lauren Leight
Research Assistant between 2010 and 2012. Lauren earned her BA in Psychology from Penn State, as well as minors in Human Development & Family Studies (HDFS) and German. She plans to obtain her Master of Education Degree in Secondary School Counseling through the Counselor Education program.
April Foster
Research Assistant in 2010-2011. April moved to downtown San Jose, California. She started a job at Easter Seals of the Bay Area as an Autism Spectrum Disorder Interventionist.
Stephanie Teng
Research Assistant in 2010-2011. Steph studies at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. As a feminist and future physician, she plans to address the medical needs and health disparities of women and to promote the advancement of women in the workplace. Steph is very active in the student branch of the American Medical Women's Association and in Medical Students for Choice. She is also singing a cappella and learning guitar in her spare time.
Kayla Ritenour
Kayla was the Lab Manager in 2010 and Research Assistant between 2007 and 2010. She worked on the WAGES grant as well as her own work on emotional intelligence. She went on to study at Syracuse University for a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Yidi Li
Research Assistant in between 2010 and 2012. Yidi earned her BA in Psychology and Media Studies from Penn State. She plans to start pursuing her doctoral degree in Psychology and Women's Studies at the University of Michigan. Yidi is broadly interested in the intersection of gender, race, culture, identity, and education. In the future, she hopers to become an academic researcher and educator. Yidi loves to practice yoga, collect earrings, and hear people's stories.
Robyn Homer
Robyn was a Research Assistant between 2010 and 2012 and the Lab Manager in 2012. She graduated from Penn State with a BS in Psychology and with Sexuality and Gender and Women's Studies minors. She is attending the University of South Florida for a Master's in Women's and Gender Studies. She hopes to own a mini pig one day and live by the beach.
Sarah Marin
Research Assistant in 2011-2012. Sarah is at Arizona State University where Teach For America is holding summer training for the Hawaii Corps members.
Andrew Pool
Research Assistant between 2008 and 2009. After graduation, Andrew attended the University of Liverpool, earning a Masters of Science in Evolutionary Psychology. He's been working as a research coordinator in the Division of Gender Internal Medicine at Penn State Hershey Medical Center since February 2010.