Alix Alto

Ellie Aronson

Alexa Beacham

Gillian Burns

Connie Chiu

Jihye Choi

Angelo Cusimano

Nicolette Dakin

Nikoleta Despodova

Kerry O’Brien

Haniya Rumaney

Maria Sobrino

Joseluz Sosa

Michelle Stern

Natalie Tesfamicael

Amy Wang

Carly Wolfer

Advisors: Ana Gantman, Daryl Wout

Research interests: My interest span political ideology, identity, imagination, and social cognition. Specifically, I'm interested in the relationships between group-based and ideological motivations and collective movements, with particular emphasis on left-wing politics, radical imagination, and the psychology of (anti-) capitalism.

Recent publications and presentations:

Wylie, J., Alto, A.T., Gantman, A. (in press). Imagining our moral values in the present and future. [Peer commentary on "Why Imaginary Worlds? The psychological foundations and cultural evolution of fictions with imaginary worlds" by Dubourg, E., & Baumard, N.]. Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

Alto, A.T.*, Wylie, J.*, Anderson, K.*, Flores-Robles, G.*, Satter, L., & Gantman, A. (under review). “I put liberal, but LOL”: Psychology of the American Political Left.

Alto, A.T.., & Mandalaywala, T.M. (under review). Boys and girls, men and women: Do children take stimulus age into account when expressing gender stereotypes?

Alto, A.T., & Gantman, A. (2022, July). How do Leftists and Liberals think about liberty? Investigating concepts of positive and negative liberty on the United States left. [Paper]. International Society of Political Psychology 2022 Annual Meeting, Athens, Greece.

Alto, A.T.*, Wylie, J.*, Anderson, K.*, Flores-Robles, G.*, Satter, L., & Gantman, A. (2022, July). Anti-capitalism distinguishes Leftists from Liberals in the United States. [Paper]. International Society of Political Psychology 2022 Annual Meeting, Athens, Greece.

Alto, A.T. (Chair), Utopian Thinking, Radical Imagination, and Social Change. [Symposium]. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention 2022, San Francisco, CA.

Email: agetreu@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Website

Advisor: Margaret Kovera

Dual Specialization in BASP and Psych and Law

Research Interests: My research explores the role of motivated reasoning in police and prosecutorial misconduct. Specifically, I aim to move beyond explanations that focus solely on “bad actors." Instead, I explore how systems incentivize subtle forms of misconduct which, ultimately, produce punitive and racially disparate outcomes in the criminal justice system. For example, when prosecutors are highly motivated to "win", are they more likely to systemically downplay the significance of exculpatory evidence and withhold it from the defense — even unintentionally? Or alternatively, when police officers really want a positive identification from a witness, do they inadvertently take a more active role and exert more influence over witnesses during lineup procedures?

Recent publications and presentations:

Aronson, E. & Kovera, B. M., (in press). Social influence in legal processes and decision-making. In R. Prislin (Ed.), Research handbook on social influence. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Fessinger, M. B., McAuliff, B. D., Aronson, E., & McWilliams, K. (2024). Attorneys’ experiences, perceptions, and plea recommendations in child sexual abuse cases. Law and Human Behavior, 48(1), 13–32. https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000551

Kovera, M.B., & Aronson, E. (2023). Eyewitness identification. In Verona, E., & Fox, B. (Eds.), Handbook of Evidence-Based Criminal Justice Practices. Routledge.

Aronson, E. & Kovera, M.B. (2023, March). The effects of in-court identifications on jury decision-making [Conference talk.]. American Psychology-Law Society Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

Email: earonson@gradcenter.cuny.edu

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-aronson-36a325122/

Advisors: Sarit Golub, Ana Gantman

Research Interests: My research explores how people use their social world -- including their online world on social media -- to make decisions regarding their sexuality and reproductive healthcare. I explore these questions because access to high-quality healthcare information is an essential resource, and one that is increasingly limited in our current political landscape. People often turn to social media in order to find information about their sexual health, but social media apps are not poised to systematically deliver high quality health information. My hope is that my work can help us understand how, and to what extent, people’s sexual health choices are guided by their social media exposure, and to what extent this limits sexual and reproductive agency.

Recent publications and presentations:

Beacham, A., Gantman, A., Golub, S. (2024, November 14-17). Let’s Tok about it: How Online Health Information Impacts Acceptability of the IUD [Conference Presentation]. The Society of the Scientific Study of Sexuality. Annual Conference, San Diego, CA, United States.

Dauber, S., Beacham, A., Hammond, C., West, A., & Thrul, J. (2022). Adaptive Text Messaging for Postpartum Risky Drinking: Conceptual Model and Protocol for an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study. JMIR Research Protocols, 11(4), e36849.

O’Grady, M.A., Neighbors, C.J., Randrianarivony, R., Shapiro-Luft, D., Tempchin, J., Perez-Cubillan, Y., Collymore, D., Martin, K., Heyward, N., Wu, M., Beacham, A., & Greenfield, B. (in press). Identifying the Physical and Mental Healthcare Needs of Opioid Treatment Program Clients. Substance Use and Misuse.

O’Grady, M.A., Randrianarivony, R., Martin, K., Perez-Cubillan, Y., Collymore, D., Shapiro-Luft, D., Beacham, A., Heyward, N., & Greenfield, B., & Neighbors, C.J. (in press). Together in Care: Lessons Learned at the Intersection of Quality Improvement, Integrated Care, and Implementation Practice. Implementation Research and Practice.

Email: abeacham@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Advisors: Virginia Valian, Sarit Golub, Danielle Burke

Research interests: I am interested in exploring disability as identity, the intersectionality of disability with other stigmatized identities, and factors affecting stigma and social strength in the context of disability, particularly with respect to the autistic community. I also have an interest in how people interact with social robots and applications for robots in mental healthcare. 

Recent publications and presentations:

Kitt, E.R., Crossman, M.K., Matijczak, A., Burns, G.B., & Kazdin, A.E. (2021). Evaluating the Role of a Socially Assistive Robot in Children's Mental Health Care. Journal of Children and Family Studies, 30(7), 1722-1735. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-01977-5

Email: gburns@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Advisors: Ana Gantman, Curtis Hardin

Research interests: Broadly, Connie’s research focuses on biases in moral and political cognition. She is especially interested in how various contextual and dispositional factors affect people’s moral and political judgments. Previously, she has investigated this in the context of political misinformation and COVID-19 conspiracy theories in both China and the U.S. Currently, she is working with Dr. Gantman to investigate how cultural norms affect causal judgments and other contextual factors that affect how people think about rules and laws.

Recent publications and presentations:

Wylie, J., Chiu, C.P.Y., Dakin, N. M., Cunningham, W., Gantman, A. (Invited submission, forthcoming). The psychology of state punishment. European Journal of Social Psychology.

Chiu, C.P.Y., Wylie, J., Thumer, L., & Gantman, A. (February, 2024). Who caused the punishment? Cross-Cultural Variations in Causal and Counterfactual Judgments for Rarely Followed Rules. Poster presented at The Society for Personality and Social Psychology Judgement and Decision-Making Pre-Conference, San Diego, CA.

Chan, H.W., Chiu, C.P.Y., Zuo, S.J., Xue, W., Liu, L., Yiu, D., Hong, Y.Y. (2021). Not- so-straightforward links between believing in COVID-19-related conspiracy theories and engaging in disease-preventive behaviours. Humanities and Social Science Communications, 8, 104. doi: 10.1057/s41599-021-00781-2 

Email: pchiu@gradcenter.cuny.edu

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conniepychiu/

Advisors: Daryl Wout, Ana Gantman

Research interests: My research investigates how people experience, perceive, and respond to stereotyping and prejudice, with a focus on identity threats during interracial interactions. One line of work examines how U.S. monoracial White individuals navigate concerns about appearing prejudiced when interacting with Black-White Biracial partners. Another line of research explores racial-ethnic identity development among Multiracial women, highlighting how intersecting dynamics of race and gender shape their lived experiences across different social contexts. More broadly, I am interested in the self and social identity, with a particular emphasis on intersectionality and how individuals make meaning of their identities in diverse, and sometimes challenging, social contexts.

Recent publications and presentations: 

Cusimano, A. (2025). Reimagining Identity: Intersectional Frameworks for an Inclusive Psychological Science. Keynote address presented at the EASP Small Group Meeting on Intersectionality and Multiple Group Categorization in Chemnitz, Germany.

Myer, A., & Wout, D. A. (in prep). Shifting Concerns Through Shared Identity: How Contextual Cues Shape White Identity Concerns when Interacting with Black-White Biracial Individuals.

Hudson, S. K. T. J., Myer, A., & Berney, E. C. (2024). Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination at the intersection of race and gender: An intersectional theory primer. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 18(2), e12939.

Azevedo, F., Pavlović, T., Rêgo, G. G., Ay, F. C., Gjoneska, B., Etienne, T. W., ... & Huang, G. (2023). Social and moral psychology of COVID-19 across 69 countries. Scientific data, 10(1), 272.

Myer, A. (2023). No Polícia, Mas Comida! Nourishing Minds, Not Policing Spaces. Available online at Spark: Elevating Scholarship on Social Issues.

Email: acusimano@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Website

Twitter: @MyerAnnalisa

Advisors: Ana Gantman, Danielle Berke

Research Interests: My research interests are broadly in the domain of political psychology, particularly issues of radicalization and how perceived position in a given hierarchy impacts political attitudes. I explore these questions with a focus on authoritarianism, as well as understanding the psychological needs that motivate attitudes like climate skepticism and gender bias.

Recent publications and presentations:

Wylie, J., Chiu, C.P.Y., Dakin, N. M., Cunningham, W., Gantman, A. (Invited submission, forthcoming). The psychology of state punishment. European Journal of Social Psychology.

Dakin, N. M., Azevedo, F., & Jost, J. T. (2023). A critical feminist system justification analysis of climate obstructionism on the part of conservative white men. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 18(2), https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12913.

Dakin, N. (2023, February). "Married to gas”: Environmental attitudes among centrist and conservative men. Poster presentation at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Conference, Sustainability Preconference.

Email: ndakin@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Advisors: Margaret Bull-Kovera, Michael Leippe

Dual Specialization in BASP and Psych and Law

Research interests: My main interest pertains to research that aims to increase our understanding of jury decision-making. More specifically, I am interested in the effects of cross-examination and witness testimony on jurors' reasoning.

Recent publications and presentations:

Despodova, N., Perillo, J., Clatch, L., Teitcher, J., & Kovera, M. (2015, March). Effects of adversarial allegiance influence on the quality of reasoning displayed in expert evaluations. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychology and Law Society, San Diego, CA

Perillo, J., Despodova, N., & Kovera, M. (2015, March). Attorney preferences for experts under adversarial and concurrent expert testimony conditions. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychology and Law Society, San Diego, CA

Email: nikoleta.despodova@jjay.cuny.edu

Advisors: Gabriel Camacho, Sarit Golub

Research interests: Broadly, I am interested in co-occuring systems of social inequality and intersectionality. I study how people who hold multiple marginalized identities think about and experience inequality, and also how these individuals are perceived by others. I am particularly interested in beliefs about gender and sexual minorities who hold additional marginalized identities.

Recent publications and presentations:

Ekhtman, J., "The Role of Social Inequality in the “Feminization” of Borderline Personality Disorder" (2025). CUNY Academic Works. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1190

Ekhtman, J., Mohan, A., Kim, Y., Vazquez, L., Oberlin D. J. (2025, April). Exploring Minority Stress Theory in Healthy, Moderately Active Trans-Identified Adults. Poster presented at CUNY LGBTQIA+ Conference. NY, NY.

Oberlin, D.J.., Mohan, A., Kim, Y.B., Vazquez, L., Ekhtman, J. (2025). Selection of Sex Does Not Affect Body Composition When Using the InBody770 Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis: Original Research. Journal of Exercise and Nutrition, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.53520/jen2025.103198

Jurist, E., & Ekhtman, J. (2024). Truth and repair: How trauma survivors envision justice. Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society, 29, 647-654. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41282-024-00451-7

Email: jekhtman@gradcenter.cuny.edu

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-ekhtman/

Advisors: Ana Gantman, Hannah Nam

Research interests: Brendan's research examines the impacts of material inequality on the construction of psychological, political, and moral ideologies and realities. He seeks to explore factors that foster collective resistance and organization against forces of inequality.

Recent publications and presentations:

Haas, I. J., Fee, B. M., Lorenz, G., & Mehta, R. (2025, September 11-14). The Nuclear Option: Party Competition and Nuclear Decision-Making. [Panel presentation]. APSA 2025 Convention, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Fee, B. M., Morgenroth, T., & Means, K. (under review). Heteronormative Definitions of Sex: The Roles of Androcentrism, Phallocentrism, and Objectification. Psychology & Sexuality.

Fee, B. M. & Haas, I. J. (2025, February 20-22). Shattered Assumptions of Success: Meritocracy Stress, Coping, and Socioeconomic Status Among University Students. [Poster presentation]. SPSP 2025 Convention, Denver, CO, United States.

Email: bfee@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Advisors: Gabriel Camacho, Sarit Golub

Research interests: My research examines how identity, affective, and cultural processes influence experiences and self-understanding among systemically marginalized groups (e.g., Hispanic/Latines). Additionally, I explore how cultural mismatch and identity incongruence affect Hispanic/Latiné individuals’ identity safety and psychosocial outcomes with educational and healthcare settings.

Recent publications and presentations:

Flores-Robles, G., Gomez, B.N., Franklin, E.T., Fikslin, R., Anderson, K., & Milless, K.L. (2025). Gender and sexual minority PhD students experience epistemic exclusion in STEM. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 25 (2), e70022. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.70022

Gomez, B.N., & Camacho, G. (2025, June). Representation in Medicine: Physician Identity Affects Interest in Medical Care. Talk presented at 2025 Society for the Psychology Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) Annual Conference, Portland, OR.

Gomez, B.N., Datta, D., Andrade, E., Beacham, A., Golub, S.A., Biel, R., & Patel, V. (2024, June). PrEPared for Navigation: Assessing an implementation science strategy for increasing PrEP uptake and sustainment among Black & Latino Sexual Minority Men in NYC. E-poster presentation for the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care Continuum (IAPAC) 2024 Conference, Fajardo, PR.

Oliver, A., Gomez, B.N., Milless, K., Godbole, M., & Good, C. (2023) Stereotype Threat as an Identity Threat: Overview and Current Trends in Research. In Penelope W. St J. Watson (Eds.). The International Handbook of Gender Beliefs, Stereotype Threat, and Teacher Expectations. New York: Taylor & Francis/Routledge.

Email: bgomez@gradcenter.cuny.edu

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryant-gomez/

Advisors: Cheryl Carmichael, Danielle Berke

Research interests: Ricky’s research explores the boundaries of acceptable intimate touch behaviors within heterosexual men’s homosocial friendships—as well as the cues, rewards, and punishments driving these experiences of platonic physical touch. This work is part of Ricky’s broader research agenda, which seeks to investigate intimate homosocial friendship as a mechanism by which contemporary men (mainly heterosexual, cisgender white men) can build community and pro-socially adapt to the rapid changes in status, power, institutions, acceptable limits of behavior, and understandings of men/masculinity; changes they currently seem to be struggling to adapt to, as evidenced by concordant increases in negative psychosocial outcomes (e.g., alienation, loneliness, suicide, alcoholism, political radicalization).

Recent publications and presentations:

Shane, J., Granderson, R.M., Luerssen, A., Carmichael, C., (2025). Directional links between men’s social bonds and health outcomes: Evidence from the MIDUS survey. Manuscript in preparation.

Granderson, R.M., Carmichael, C. L., & Berke, D. S. (2025). An intimacy gap? Exploring U.S. men’s experience with and capacity for physical intimacy in their same-sex friendships. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 26(1), 35–48.

Granderson, R.M. & Carmichael, C. (2025, February 20 – February 22). The Male Homosocial Physical Intimacy Gap and Men's Mental and Relational Well-Being [Poster presentation]. Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Denver, CO, United States.

Granderson, R.M. & Carmichael, C. (2024, July 5 – July 9). The Male Homosocial Physical Intimacy Gap and Men's Mental and Relational Well-Being [Symposium presentation]. Annual Meeting of the International Association for Relationship Research. Boston, MA, United States.

Carlson, D.J., Granderson, R.M., Carmichael, C. (2024, February 8 – February 10) Masculine Contingency and Purposes of Male Homosocial Touch [Poster Presentation]. Annual Convention of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. San Diego, CA, United States.

Email: rgranderson@gradcenter.cuny.edu

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricky-granderson/

Advisor: Jacqueline Katzman, Margaret Kovera

Research Interests: My research interests revolve around police decision-making, specifically in the context of using force. By using a novel measurement of discretion granted, validated through real use-of-force policies, I aim to examine how police violate norms when using force. I am additionally interested in if jurors are sensitive to these norm violations when use-of-force cases go to trial.

Recent publications and presentations:

Keck, Kovera, & Penrod (2025, March) Busted beliefs: Metamemory intervention misses the mark in eyewitness pre-identification confidence accuracy calibration. Talk presented at the American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS) Conference.

Email: skeck@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacie-keck/

Advisors: Margaret Kovera, Jacqueline Katzman

Dual Specialization in BASP and Psych and Law

Research interests: My main area of focus currently deals with police officer's use of Facial Recognition Technology. Specifically, how FRT is used to develop suspects and the consequences that comes from using such technology. The use of FRT by law enforcement is controversial as it has resulted in high-profile wrongful arrests. Yet little is known about how witnesses respond to lineups containing suspects generated by facial recognition algorithms or how jurors respond to identifications of suspects developed using this new technology.

Email: jking@gradcenter.cuny.edu

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaleel-king-573042206/

Advisors: Daryl Wout, Virginia Valian

Research interests: Broadly, I am interested in experiences and perceptions of biracial and multiracial populations. My past research primarily focused on how appearance/phenotypical attributes and behavior affect how monoracial Asian individuals perceive Asian-White biracials' in-group or outgroup status. Continuing in this vein, I would like to examine more visual and behavior cues that affect perceptions of biracial individuals.

Email: aleehoffman@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Linkedin page: www.linkedin.com/in/allie-leehoffman

Advisors: Cheryl Carmichael

Research Interests: My research explores psychological responses to climate change, including mental health impacts and the role of perceived climate threat in motivating pro-environmental actions. Specifically, I’ve used experimental messaging studies to compare the differential effect of threat vs. efficacy-promoting climate rhetoric on beliefs, affect, and behavior. Additionally, I’m interested in the psychological implications of our interactions with increasingly human-like AI, such as effects on loneliness, social support, and health outcomes.

Recent publications and presentations:

Nicholls, L., & Carmichael, C. (2023, February). Evaluating threat and efficacy message components in climate change communication. Poster session presented at the meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Atlanta.

Nicholls, L., Carmichael, C., Goldberg, M., Lacroix, K., Gustafson, A., Rosenthal, S., & Leiserowitz, A. (2022, June). Romantic partners’ climate engagement can motivate own pro-environmental behaviors. Poster session presented at the meeting of the Society for Environmental, Population and Conservation Psychology (APA Division 34), Virtual Conference.

Nicholls, L., Weiss, E., Todman, M., & Carmichael, C. (2022, February). The prevalence and correlates of climate change distress in the United States. Poster session presented at the meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Francisco.

Email: lnicholls@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Advisors: Demis Glasford, Ana Gantman

Research interests: My research focuses on how people understand and respond to social inequality, particularly race-based disparities. I examine how different groups define inequality and evaluate proposed solutions, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. More broadly, I study how social identity, political orientation, and ideology shape perceptions of inequality and support for efforts to address it.

Recent publications and presentations:

Nickel, M., & Glasford, D. From injustice to inaction: The role of worldview threat in dampening collective action. Data Blitz presented at: 2022 Six College Conference; 2022 May 13; Virtual.

Nickel, M., & Glasford, D. When does reading about social injustice elicit worldview threat?. Poster presented at: 2022 Annual Meeting for the Society of Personality and Social Psychology; 2022 February 16-19; San Francisco, CA.

Nickel, M., & Glasford, D. Worldview confirmation and the dampening of collective action. Talk presented at: 2021 Annual Meeting for the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues; 2021 August 2-5; Virtual.

Nickel, M., & Kawakami, K. The impact of perceived racial bias on face processing. Poster presented at: 2020 Annual Meeting for the Society of Personality and Social Psychology; 2020 February 27-29; New Orleans, LA.

Email: mnickel@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Website: https://madelinenickel.wixsite.com/nickel

Advisor: Catherine Good

Research interests: My research centers around gender dynamics within the home, especially regarding home-based relational conflicts. My work examines the various factors that lead to unequal divisions of physical and mental labor among cohabitating couples, as well as the consequences that such labor imbalance can have on couples.

Recent publications and presentations:

O'Brien, K., & Good, C. D. (2025, May 9). Conveniently clueless: Defining & examining weaponized incompetence in the home [Data blitz]. Six College Conference (6CC), New York, NY, United States.

Wang, S.-Y. A., O’Brien, K., & Good, C. D. (2025, March 7). Street smarts or stereotypes?: White women’s personal safety decisions when encountering Black vs. white men [Poster presentation]. Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA), New York, NY, United States.

O'Brien, K., & Good, C. D. (2025, February 21). Conveniently clueless: Defining & examining weaponized incompetence in the home [Poster presentation]. The Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Annual Convention, Denver, CO, United States.

Email: kobrien@gradcenter.cuny.edu

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-o-brien-aa10b0197/

Advisors: Hannah Nam, Sarit Golub

Research interests: Haniya's research interests primarily revolve around investigating the antecedents and consequences of religious and other identity-based stigma using social identity and intersectionality frameworks. In one line of research, she examines the racialization of Islam, and the extent to which its construction as a racial versus ethno-religious category affects expressions of Islamophobic prejudice. In a second more theoretical line of work, she investigates how possessing a marginalized social identity may influence endorsement of conspiracy beliefs. In the past, she has conducted stigma and prejudice-focused research by employing survey experiments and natural language processing techniques. Prior to joining her graduate program, Haniya worked at the Sidanius Lab at Harvard University, and was a research assistant and program manager for a project funded by the International Growth Centre, UK. Haniya has a Masters in Applied Psychology from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India.

Recent publications and presentations:

Ghani, A., Hudson S.T.J., Rumaney, H., & Sidanius, J. (2023). Of Christians, Jews, and Muslims: When gender is unspecifed, the default is men. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. Advance online publication DOI:10.1037/rel0000500

Rumaney, H. (2024). Investigating the impact of stigma salience on conspiracy endorsement. First Doctoral Exam Results Presentation and Defense, CUNY Graduate Center, 2024.

Rumaney, H. & Camacho, G. (2024). They’re out to get us!: Investigating the impact of stigma salience on conspiracy endorsement. SPSP Annual conference, San Diego, 2024

Rumaney, H., & Sriram, S. (2023). Not Without My Hijab: Experiences of Veiled Muslim Women in India. Human Arenas. DOI: 10.1007/s42087-021-00193-3

Ghani, A., Hudson, S. T. J., Rumaney, H., & Sidanius, J. (2022). Of Christians, Jews, and Muslims: When gender is unspecified, the default is men. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/f564s

Puthillam, A* & Rumaney, H.* (2022). Applying to Social Psych PhDs as an International student: An informal, subjective guide. https://osf.io/bxygh

Rumaney, H., & Sriram, S. (2021). Not Without My Hijab: Experiences of Veiled Muslim Women in India. Human Arenas. DOI: http://10.1007/s42087-021-00193-3

Email: hrumaney@gradcenter.cuny.edu

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haniyarumaney/

Advisors: Sarit Golub, Danielle Berke

Research interests: Maria's research is grounded and contextualized in strengths-based and community-based participatory methodology and is broadly aimed at understanding the relationship between identity development and health for LGBTQ+ youth, examining the protective psychological factors that buffer against stigma, exploring the social and structural context of substance use and disease transmission, and scaling up harm reduction efforts. Prior to coming to HART, Maria developed a repertoire of trans- and interdisciplinary skills and perspectives through her work at the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, the National Drug Early Warning System Project, and the Developmental Social Neuroscience Lab at the UNC Chapel Hill. She graduated from the University of Florida with dual bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology.

Recent publications and presentations:

Telzer, E.H., Dai, J., Capella, J.J., Sobrino, M., Garrett S.L. (2022). Challenging Stereotypes of Teens: Reframing Adolescence as Window of Opportunity.

Mosley, D.V., Bellamy, P., Bridges, B., Sobrino, M., Mejia, J., Adam, S., Ross, G., Abreu, R. (2022). Decolonial Psychology: Theory, Research, Training, and Practice: Moving Psychology Toward Anticolonial Queer Futures.

Takenaka, B.P., Sobrino, M., Bustamante, M.J., (in preparation). Characterization of Neighborhood Violence and HIV/STI Testing Among Young Sexual Minority Youth in the United States (Data analyzed, manuscript in progress).

Sobrino, M., Takenaka, B.P., Weerakoon, S., Herrera, C., Flores, J., Bustamante, M.J., Johnson, R., Ansarizadeh, K., Nwaozuru, U. (2024, July) Characterization of Neighborhood Violence and HIV/STI Testing Among Sexual Minority Youth in the United States Using the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Poster accepted for presentation at the 2024 International Aids Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Science, Munich, Germany.

Sobrino, M., Takenaka, B.P., Bustamante, M.J., Flores, J., Payton, I., López-Matos, J., Johnson, R. (2024, August). Examining the Role of Residential Metropolitan Status on HIV-Testing Among Ethnoracial Sexual Minorities in the US. Poster accepted for presentation at the 2024 National LGBTQ Health Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Sobrino, M., Maza, M.T., Prinstein, M.J., Lindquist, K.A., & Telzer, E.H. (2024, April). Navigating Adversity: The Power of Resilience in Adolescent Risk-Taking. Poster presented at The Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL

Dauber, S., Sobrino, M. (2024, June). Broadening the Horizons of Perinatal Care: Investigating and Implementing a Harm Reduction Based Helpline for Pregnant People Who Use Substances. Plenary talk invited at the New York State Perinatal Association Annual Conference, Albany, NY.

Dauber, S., Sobrino, M. (2024, June). Broadening the Horizons of Perinatal Care: Investigating and Implementing a Harm Reduction Based Helpline for Pregnant People Who Use Substances. Talk invited at the Opioid Response Learning Collaborative.

Email: msobrino@gradcenter.cuny.edu

X (Formerly Twitter): @MSobrinoHerrero

LinkedIn page: http://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-sobrino

Advisors: Gabriel Camacho, Daryl Wout,

Research interests: My research is at the intersection of stigma and identity. Specifically, I am interested in Latinx folks, peoples with disabilities, and their educational contexts. More recently, I am exploring how prototypicality and self-perceived distance from the "mean" can influence a person's ability to disclose identity and access resources.

Email: jsosa@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseluz-sosa-563a0360/

Advisors: Hannah Nam, Curtis Hardin

Research interests: My research seeks to explore mechanisms and emotionality behind political polarization, investigating how this division both reflects and shapes broader societal dynamics through the lens of intergroup relations and social identity. I specifically examine why individuals are drawn to particular political groups, exploring how social identities influence these preferences and fuel intergroup hostility.

Email: mstern1@gradcenter.cuny.edu

LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-stern

Advisors: Jacqueline Katzman

Dual Specialization in BASP and Psych and Law

Research interests: Legal decision-making, Jury Decision Making; Social Psychology of eyewitness identification & reliability; Lineup Bias

Recent publications and presentations:

Tesfamicael, N. D. (2025, May). Juror Perceptions of Eyewitness Identifications of Familiar Others. Presentation at the Graduate Center Psychology Research Day, New York, NY.

Tesfamicael, N. D. (2025, March). Juror Perceptions of Eyewitness Identifications of Familiar Others. Presentation at the American Psychology-Law Society Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Email: ntesfamicael@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Advisors: Catherine Good, Daniel Rovenpor

Research interests: I am primarily interested in addressing race and gender inequality in education, with a particular focus on making STEM classrooms and learning environments more welcoming, accessible, and meaningful for historically underrepresented minority students. I want to investigate how cultural conceptions of the STEM subjects can be shifted and reimagined so as to make classrooms sites of resistance for students.

Recent publications and presentations:

Wang, S.-Y. A., & Good, C. D. (2025, June 28). Active vs. Static Views of Math and Student Outcomes [Poster presentation]. Society for the Psychology Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) Annual Conference, Portland, OR, United States.

Wang, S.-Y. A., & Good, C. D. (2025, May 9). STEM is for everyone: Impact of instructor views of math on student outcomes [Data blitz]. Six College Conference (6CC), New York, NY, United States.

Wang, S.-Y. A., O’Brien, K., & Good, C. D. (2025, March 7). Street smarts or stereotypes?: White women’s personal safety decisions when encountering Black vs. white men [Poster presentation]. Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA), New York, NY, United States.

Wang, S.-Y. A., & Good, C. D. (2025, February 22). STEM is for everyone: Impact of instructor views of math on student outcomes [Poster presentation]. The Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Annual Convention, Denver, CO, United States.

Email: swang3@gradcenter.cuny.edu

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/su-yue-amy-wang-9262a3246/

Advisors: Cheryl Carmichael, Sarit Golub

Research interests: My research uses a feminist, sex-positive lens to explore the multi-level barriers and facilitators to sexual and relational wellness. Specifically, I investigate how individual (e.g. motivation, attachment), interpersonal (e.g. communication, responsiveness, touch), and socio-cultural (e.g. sexual scripts, gender norms) factors support or stifle sexual pleasure equity, relationship functioning, and health in casual and committed relationship structures across the lifespan. Ultimately, I am passionate about developing socio-emotional and sex education programming aimed at optimizing sexual and relational well-being among diverse individuals and relationships who have been historically muted in discourses of desire.

Recent publications and presentations:

Wolfer, C., Wetzel, G., Sanchez, D., Carmichael, C. L., (2025, June 23-26). “We’re all in this together”: Evidence that men’s support and partner collaboration are prerequisites for closing the orgasm gap. The International Association of Sex Research (IASR) 51st Annual Meeting, Portland, Maine.

Wetzel, G. M., Wolfer, C., Carmichael, C. L., & Sanchez, D. T. (2025). An experimental investigation of sexual scripts by partner gender: Anticipated clitoral stimulation and partner orgasm pursuit shape women's orgasm expectations. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 54, 2167–2184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-025-03169-4

Wolfer, C., & Carmichael, C. L. (2025). Personal and perceived partner orgasm pursuit: A daily diary study about the gendered orgasm gap. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 42(6), 1265-1290. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075251316579. Media Coverage: PsyPost, HuffPost, Justin Lehiller’s Sex & Psychology Podcast, The New York Post

Golub, S. A., Wolfer, C., Beacham, A., Lane, B. V., Chastain, C. A., & Meyers, K. A. (2025). Developing a practice-driven taxonomy of implementation strategies for HIV prevention. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 98(4), 377–385. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000003581

Wolfer, C., Carmichael, C. L. (2024, July). Asymmetric orgasm pursuit: Using interdependence theory to explain and bridge the orgasm gap in the heterosexual relationships. The International Association of Relationship Research (IARR) 2024 Conference, Boston, MA.

Talan, A. J., Wolfer, C., Tavella, N., Cabral, C., Despradel, R., & Rendina, H. J. (2024). Engaging sexual minority adolescents in nationwide at-home HIV prevention research in the US. Preventive Medicine Reports, 48, 102907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102907

Email: cwolfer@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Website: www.carlywolfer.com