1 I exercise every day to clear my mind and increase my happiness. I bike, swim, run (when not injured), hike/walk, paddleboard, etc. I also teach yoga, barre, pilates, and skiing.
2 I find creative ways to let the world know about our amazing psychology undergraduate program. #WPIPsychology
3 When I joined WPI, my sister, Nadia, was a sophomore. Two of her friends, Ted and “Captain,” brought a vat of Jello to my office to initiate me. My challenge was to dig through the Jello to retrieve a prize—a WPI Superfan shirt signed by them. Ted is now my brother-in-law! At their wedding, I made my sister and Ted dig through a vat of Jello for WPI SuperBride and SuperGroom shirts.
4 As I was going up for tenure, my husband created MS Paint artwork for my office to remind me to be ridiculous and laugh.
5 Traveling is a passion. I’ve advised IQPs in Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Australia, and South Africa. I taught on the Semester at Sea voyage around the world in 2016—and met Desmond Tutu while wearing a WPI Psychology T-shirt! I’ve been to 42 U.S. states, 47 countries, and 6 continents ... 50 states, 50 countries, 7 continents, here I come!
6 My research investigates how subtle factors in our social world influence decision-making and beliefs. In my lab, we conduct creative experiments. For instance, I use messages on T-shirts, a person’s name or appearance, and other fun manipulations/stimuli to answer important social psychological questions.
7 My most recent professional accomplishment was being promoted to full professor!
8 In the classroom, I engage students in active learning to expand their knowledge. In Human Sexuality, we see, touch, and think about contraception options thanks to this kit from Planned Parenthood.
