Dr. Erin Hennes
Principal Investigator
Dr. Erin Hennes is an Associate Professor at the University of Missouri, recruited through the MizzouForward initiative. She holds a joint appointment in Psychological Sciences and the Truman School of Government & Public Affairs and is Core Faculty at the MU Institute for Data Science & Informatics. At MU, Dr. Hennes is the director of both the Social Cognition of Social Change Lab and the mpower project. Dr. Hennes holds a BA in Music, Psychology, and Liberal Arts & Management from Indiana University and a PhD in Social Psychology with a minor in Quantitative Methods from New York University. Following graduation, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles and a Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
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Email: ehennes@missouri.edu
Graduate Students
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Graduate Student
Evelyn Do joined the SCSC lab as a PhD student in Fall 2024 with a Fulbright graduate student scholarship. Prior to joining the lab, she completed a BA in French Literature and Psychology from Sungkyunkwan University and a MA in Social Psychology from the same institution. Her research interest centers on the impact of existential threats on democratic culture, and well-being implications of political events. When she's not in the lab, she enjoys trying out new activities and learning new languages.
Website: www.evelyneunbyuldo.com
Email: edt62@missouri.edu
Graduate Student
Aijia Gao joined the SCSC Lab as a PhD student in Fall 2020. She earned a BA in Intensive Psychology from UC Santa Cruz, an MA in Psychology from Wake Forest University, and an MS in Psychology from Purdue University. Her earlier research examined infant social-cognitive development and how visual aids influence risk perception.
Her current work focuses on understanding how cognitive, decision-making, and social psychological processes shape how people interpret information about controversial social issues. She is also interested in improving the real-world impact of interventions and policies by considering social norms, power, and long-term systemic challenges. In her free time, she enjoys learning new skills and spending time with other people’s pets.
Email: agao@mail.missouri.edu
Graduate Student
Taeik Kim joined the SCSC Lab as a PhD student in Fall 2019. His work examines the motivational and cognitive processes that contribute to resistance to social change, particularly in areas such as climate change and social inequities. Before coming to the University of Missouri, he earned a BA in Psychology from Yeungnam University, an MA in Cultural and Social Psychology from Korea University, and an MS in Psychology from Purdue University.
Using methods such as surveys, experiments, and natural language processing, his research explores two main questions: why people who are aware of social and environmental problems still fail to support solutions, and how individuals react to proposed interventions that sometimes unintentionally heighten resistance. In his free time, he enjoys playing the piano and cycling.
Email: taeikkim@mail.missouri.edu
Affiliated Graduate Students
Sage Bouchard is a master's student in psychology at Wake Forest University working under the primary mentorship of Dr. John Petrocelli. She joined the SCSC lab as a Mizzou undergraduate in 2022 and completed the undergraduate honors capstone with the mentorship of Aijia Gao and Dr. Erin Hennes in 2024 before graduating with a BS in psychology. Sage is interested in researching social justice concerns and the social cognitive biases that drive resistance to change.
Email: sebhpg@mail.missouri.edu
Logan Edmondson joined the SCSC lab as a PhD student in Fall 2024. He earned his BS in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Kansas in the Spring of 2024. Logan is primarily interested in motivation and belief formation in the context of contentious social issues. He is also interested how individuals navigate perceived changes in the social world (e.g. examining why statements like, "Nobody wants to work anymore" reoccur every generation.) For example, while at KU, Logan's work (advised by Dr. Mark Landau) examined differences in intertemporal choice and time-horizons due to exposure to an emerging sensational discourse surrounding climate change. In his spare time, Logan plays the guitar, cycles, goes camping, bakes and spends time with his dog, Mike.​​
Email: edmondsonl@missouri.edu
Jasna Hardin is a licensed pharmacist and a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she works with Dr. Isbell. She earned her M.A. in Psychology from New York University in 2023 and holds a professional pharmacy license. Her research focuses on physician clinical decision-making, with a particular emphasis on the emergency room context. By integrating insights from psychology, medicine, and behavioral science, her work aims to better understand how cognitive, situational, and systemic factors influence diagnostic reasoning and patient care.
Email: hardin.jasna@gmail.com
Yanzi Huang is a PhD student in Social Psychology at the University of Deleware working under the primary mentorship of Dr. Peter Mende-Siedlecki. She was the Project Coordinator of Dr. Hennes's SuperPower Project at Purdue University from 2021 to 2022 and the Lab Manager of the SCSC Lab from 2020 to 2021. Yanzi received a BS in Applied Psychology from Hong Kong Baptist University in 2018, and a MA in Psychology from New York University in 2020. She is interested in understanding how top-down factors (e.g., attitudes, stereotypes, ideology) shape social perception and intergroup relations, with a particular focus on issues related to gender and racial biases. ​
Email: yzhuang@udel.edu
Katie Mason is a PhD student in Social Psychology at New York University working under the primary mentorship of Dr. John Jost and supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. She joined the SCSC Lab as a high school student in 2016. Her research interests broadly lie within the psychology of social justice. She is interested in (a) why people are resistant to positive social change, instead defending flawed systems, and (b) stereotyping and prejudice on the basis of racial and gender identity. She is interested in how scientists, politicians, the media, and universities can encourage change that promotes equity
Email: kam9836@nyu.edu
Donny Snyder is a PhD student in Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, working under the primary mentorship of Dr. Alex Theodoridis and supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Donny is a Spring 2020 graduate of Purdue University, with majors in Psychology, Political Science, and Peace Studies. He joined the Social Cognition of Social Change Lab in 2019. Donny is interested in personality and political ideology change, persuasion, and opinion formation.​
Email: desnyder@umass.edu
Sydney Wicks is a PhD student in Experimental Psychology at the University of Mississippi, under the primary mentorship of Dr. Andrew Hales and supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University, where he majored in Psychology with minors in Sociology and Marketing. He joined the Social Cognition of Social Change Lab in 2021 through the Society of Personality and Social Psychology’s Social Psychology Undergraduate Research (SPUR) Program. He is interested in relationships, social connection and exclusion, and media use.​​
Email: swicks@go.olemiss.edu
Research Assistants
Alex Agranov is an undergraduate at the University of Missouri, majoring in Psychology with a declared minor in Anthropology. He joined the Social Cognition of Social Change Lab in 2025. Alex is interested in income inequality, how to effectively communicate values with the public, and forensic anthropology. Upon graduation, Alex intends on attending graduate school and pursuing either a master’s degree or a PhD involving psychology or anthropology.​
Email: ama648@umsystem.edu
Sarah Branam is an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Plant Science. She joined the Social Cognition of Social Change Lab in 2025. She is interested in researching cognitive processes of social issues, particularly environmental sustainability, climate change, and gender inequalities. Upon graduation, Sarah plans to apply to graduate programs in Counseling Psychology.
Email: skbfqk@missouri.edu
Nate Kershaw is an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri, double majoring in Psychology and Statistics with a minor in Political Science. He joined the SCSC lab in Fall 2025. Nate is interested in how cognitive processes are shaped and influence the way we engage politically and socially. He intends to further explore careers in social psychology.​
Email: nk2g4@missouri.edu
Taehee Oh is an undergraduate student at Cornell University majoring in Government with minors in History and East Asian Studies. She joined the Social Cognition of Social Change Lab in 2025. Taehee is interested in how social and cognitive processes influence political behavior and the quality of democratic governance. She is particularly interested in studying how group identity, affective polarization, and information processing shape attitudes toward political opponents.​
Email: to242@cornell.edu
​​​Ethan Uyemura is an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri, majoring in Psychology. He joined the Social Cognition of Social Change lab in Fall 2024. He is interested in how people react to a wide variety of social and political issues. Upon graduation, Ethan plans to apply for graduate programs in clinical psychology​
Email: eru8yh@missouri.edu
Spencer Wilson is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and Public Policy and joined the lab in 2025. His interests focus on the psychology of political participation, especially the barriers that limit individual agency and shape feelings of powerlessness. He is also interested in how Feelings-as-Information Theory helps explain the ways people use emotions to guide judgments and behavior, and how this perspective can strengthen program evaluation by clarifying how participants interpret their experiences. After graduation, he plans to pursue an advanced degree in psychology.​
Email: skwzqx@missouri.edu
Annapurna Damaraju is an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri, double majoring in Mathematics and Psychology. She joined the Social Cognition of Social Change Lab in 2025. She is interested in how social biases, both implicit and explicit, affect the socioeconomic status and mental health of marginalized groups. Upon graduation, Annapurna plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Psychology.​
Email: avdh49@missouri.edu
Avery Swanson is an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri, double majoring in Psychology and Communications. She joined the SCSC lab with the Discovery Fellows scholarship in Fall 2025. Avery is interested in how an individual’s social identities influence their behavior and sense of self, as well as the impact of media messages on group psychology. ​
Email: asr7k@missouri.edu
Tyler Thompson is an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri, double majoring in Psychological Sciences and Journalism with a minor in Information Technology. He joined the Social Cognition of Social Change Lab in 2025. He is interested in how political biases impact interactions with minority groups. Upon graduation, Tyler plans to pursue a career in strategic communications and UX Research.​
Email: tatk9c@missouri.edu
Megan Hubbard is an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri, majoring in Psychological Sciences with minors in Spanish, Creative Writing, and Sociology. She joined the Social Cognition of Social Change Lab in Fall 2024. Her research interests focus on social psychology and mental health, particularly how perceptions of barriers to social change affect well-being. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue graduate studies in Clinical or Counseling Psychology.
Email: mhubbard@missouri.edu
Lab Alumni
Mysha Clarke (PhD) was a graduate affiliate of the SCSC Lab from 2016 to 2018. She completed a PhD in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and is now an Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at the University of Florida.
Ezgi Ozgumus was the lab manager of the SCSC Lab from 2017 to 2018. She is now enrolled in the PhD program in Organisational Behaviour at London Business School.
Carlos Rebollar was an undergraduate Psychology student at Texas Christian University, and was part of the SCSC Lab in 2022 through Social Personality Undergraduate Research (SPUR) program. He has since become lab manager of Dr. Kurt Gray's lab at the University of North Carolina. He plans to continue pursuing a career in intervention science research related to contentious sociopolitical issues.
Xiyao Ge was a summer intern in the SCSC Lab visiting from Reed College in 2017. He is now enrolled in Social Psychology at the MS program in applied statistics and psychometrics at Boston College.
Thomas Hamori (MS) was a research assistant in the SCSC Lab in 2017. He is now enrolled in the PhD program in Applied Mathematics at the University of South Carolina.
Diana Lizarazo Pereira was a research assistant in the SCSC Lab in 2017. She is now enrolled in the MSc program in the Psychology of Global Mobility Inclusion & Diversity in Society program at the University of Limerick.
Kyler Richard was a research assistant in the SCSC lab from 2023 to 2024. She has since graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.S. in Political Science with minors in Spanish Language and Psychology. Upon graduation, Kyler plans to attend graduate school.
Brittany Mihalec-Adkins was a research assistant and graduate affiliate of the SCSC Lab from 2015 to 2017. She is now enrolled in the PhD program in Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University.
Kimberly Ordonez (PhD) was a graduate affiliate of the SCSC Lab from 2017 to 2020. She completed an MS in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and is now enrolled in the PhD program in Environmental Social Sciences at The Ohio State University.
Janel Jett (PhD) was postdoctoral fellow in the SCSC Lab. She received her PhD in Political Science at Purdue University in 2021. Her main research interests are American politics and political communication. Starting Fall 2024, she has been be an Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon.​
Alec Pedersen graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Psychological Sciences and a B.A. in Law and Society in 2021. He held multiple positions across the joint labs, including the lab manager for the SCSC Lab, the project coordinator for the SuperPower lab, and the lab manager for the REACT lab. In the future, he plans to continue doing work related to personality research and psychedelic assisted therapy.
Leslie Remache was the lab manager of the SCSC Lab from 2019 to 2020. She is now enrolled in the PhD program in Social Psychology at Stanford University.
Emily Boyne (EdS) was a research assistant in the SCSC Lab from 2015 to 2016. She subsequently completed the EdS program in School Psychology at The Ohio State University.
Abigael Click was a research assistant in the SCSC lab from 2022 to 2024. She has since graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Psychological Sciences and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, with a minor in Sociology and Critical Disability Studies at Purdue University. She is now enrolled in the PhD program in Social Psychology at the University of Connecticut.
Sungmin (Derek) Kahng was a research assistant at the SCSC Lab from 2018 to 2020. He is now enrolled in the PhD program in Psychology at the University of Kentucky.
Celine Jusuf was a research assistant in the SCSC Lab from 2018 to 2019. She is now enrolled in the MA program in Psychology at San Diego State University.
Antonia Roach was a research assistant at the SCSC Lab from 2017 to 2018. She is now enrolled in the PhD program in Sociology at Washington University in St. Louis.
Hannah Mullin was a research assistant in the SCSC Lab from 2020 to 2021. She is now enrolled in the MSW program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Kelly Velazquez was a Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) scholar in the SCSC Lab in 2019. She is now enrolled in the PhD program in Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Young Ju Ryu was a research assistant and graduate affiliate of the SCSC Lab from 2020 to 2022. She is now enrolled in the PhD program in Social Psychology at the University of Kansas.
Hayley Green was a research assistant in the SCSC Lab in 2017. She is now enrolled in the MSc program in International Migration and Public Policy at The London School of Economics and Political Science.
Taewon Kang was a research assistant in the SCSC lab from 2019 to 2021. He is now enrolled in the Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship program at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.
Colby Light was a research assistant in the SCSC Lab in 2017. He is now enrolled in the MSc program in Socio-Ecological Economics and Policy program at WU Vienna (Austria).
Zehan (Leo) Li (MHS) was a research assistant in the SCSC Lab from 2017 to 2018. He is now enrolled in the PhD program in Biomedical Informatics at the University of Texas at Houston.
Priyanka Subrahmanyam was a research assistant in the SCSC lab from 2021 to 2023. She has since graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Brain and Behavioral Science and a B.A. in French Studies. She is currently applying to law school.
Stefanie Walsh was a research assistant in the SCSC Lab from 2017 to 2020. She is now enrolled in the Master of Science in Business Analytics and Information Management program at Purdue University.