Communication
Research Interests
I’m interested in understanding how the design of digital media influences cognitive processes like attention, learning, and memory. My current research addresses how cognitive load and perceptual load in a media environment influence attention-related brain networks, helping us better understand processing differences like ADHD. The ultimate goal of this research is to help design digital tools that help people perform at their cognitive best in their daily lives.
Mentoring Experiences
In my role in the Media Neuroscience Lab, I help coordinate a large team of undergraduate researchers as they learn how to conduct academic research. One of the most rewarding parts of mentorship is getting to see the “aha!” moment as a budding researcher begins to understand a new concept or research method. A primary challenge in my role is to introduce undergraduates with no prior programming experience to data science tools such as Python or R. In this sense, it’s also extra rewarding, because I’ve gotten to see our mentees who came in with no experience in data science go on to get great internships and jobs where they use these skills every day.
Meaning of the Award
Winning this award is meaningful to me, because mentorship is by far the thing that I cherish most about being in academia. It’s great to be able to train and advocate for my mentees as they navigate their undergraduate careers, and as they prepare for the future. It’s encouraging to see graduate students around me invest their (very) limited time and effort into helping undergraduate students succeed, and it’s an honor to be among them!