Our Lab Team
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
– African Proverb
Principal Investigator
Dr. Valerie Jones Taylor 📎
My research areas include intergroup relations, social identity threat, stereotyping and discrimination, and cultural psychology. Specifically, I investigate how stereotyping and prejudice affect the academic performance of underrepresented groups, interracial interactions, and the treatment of racialized physical spaces. I also examine ways to improve interracial encounters in academic and social contexts using virtual reality. In my work, I draw on theories such as social identity threat, and apply frameworks such as models of stress and coping and intergroup processes, to answer such questions that loom large for those working to implement successful diversity strategies to reduce inequities and promote positive social change.
More Information→
Graduate Students
Juan Valladares 📎
Graduate Student
I am a graduate student in the Social Psychology Ph.D. program at Lehigh University. I work under the advisement of Dr. Valerie Jones Taylor. My research interests revolve around interracial interactions as they are affected by stereotypes, prejudice, in-group bias, etc. Relatedly, I am interested in how understanding sociocultural contexts can contribute to positive experiences in intergroup contact situations and toward reducing inequities. I want to address some of the cross-cultural gaps concerning group behavior, stereotypes, and racial attitudes- especially as these phenomena apply to areas and racial groups that have been underrepresented in the literature.
Tamara Franklin
Graduate Student
I am a graduate student in the Social Psychology Ph.D. program at Lehigh University. I am working under Dr. Valerie Jones Taylor and in the Stereotyping & Social Interactions (SSI) Lab. I received my B.A. and M.A. in Psychology at California State University, Sacramento where I researched intergroup relations, ethnic identity, and implicit biases. My research interests are centered around intergroup relations, but specifically regarding racial groups and their stereotypes, as well as the biases associated with them. I want to learn more about the formation and improvement of implicit perceptions of others and what they say about our underlying thought processes.
Lab Manager
Sandi Manfreda
I am the Pre-Doctoral Research Associate and Lab Manager for the SSI Lab. My research interests focus on understanding how attitudes and behaviors interact with prejudice and intergroup dynamics, both in-person and in virtual reality. I graduated from Lafayette College in May 2021 with a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Anthropology & Sociology.
Research Assistants
Psychology Team
Coding Team
Abigail Silva
Abigail Silva is a junior undergraduate student at Lehigh University majoring in Management with a minor in Spanish.
Joyce Park
Joyce is a senior undergraduate student majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience.
Isabel is a first year undergraduate student at Lehigh University majoring in the IDEAS program with concentrations in Psychology, Computer Science, and Population Health.
Caroline Spindel is a senior undergraduate student at Lehigh University in the IDEAS program with a concentration in electrical engineering and psychology.
Raihan Alam
Raihan is a junior undergraduate student at Lehigh University who is majoring in Psychology, and minoring in Philosophy and Political Science.
Emma Weiss
Emma Weiss is a sophomore undergraduate at Lehigh University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Communications.
Spencer is a senior undergraduate student at Lehigh University pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science and Business.
Chris is a first year undergraduate student at Lehigh University majoring in the IDEAS program with concentrations in Comp Sci, Mechanical Engineering, Design, and Theater.
Jamie Kernan
Jamie is a junior undergraduate majoring in Global Studies/Modern Languages and Literatures with a minor in Chinese.
Kevin Cao
Kevin is a freshman currently majoring in Marketing but looking to pursue a duel degree in Psychology.
Michele is a first year undergraduate student at Lehigh University majoring in Computer Science, with interests in art, writing, and computer software.
Caroline is a sophomore undergraduate student at Lehigh University, pursuing a B.S. in Cognitive Science with a minor in business.
Emma Engels
Emma is a junior undergraduate student at Lehigh University majoring in psychology and political science and minoring in philosophy.
Amit Khanal
Amit Khanal is majoring in Economics with a minor in Mathematics
Nix is a sophomore at Lehigh University majoring in the IDEAS program with concentrations in Computer Science Engineering & Cognitive Science.
Amanda Kornblum
Amanda Kornblum is a sophomore undergraduate student at Lehigh University majoring in Psychology. She is interested in helping to understand the thought process behind stereotyping, prejudice and bias so that this research can be used to promote and teach positive and joyful social interactions among individuals and within groups.
Alize Browne
Alize Browne is a senior with a Psychology major and a Africana Studies minor. She plans on exploring a career in the highschool guidance counseling field, in order to increase the access that minority children have to higher education. She became interested in this lab after multiple Africana History classes and Social Psychology where she learned about the effects of intergroup contact and stereotype threat on specifically the Black community.
Ivory Le
Ivory Le is a freshman majoring in IDEAs program with a concentration of computer science engineering and Psychology.
Our Team at Work
Lab Alumni
Former Postdoctoral Fellows
Former Graduate Students
Caitlyn Yantis, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Villanova University
Rita Knasel, M.S. in Psychology
Finn Siepser, M.A. in Counseling and Human Services
Former ‘Psych Team’ Undergrad Research Assistants
Former ‘Coding Team’ Undergrad Research Assistants
Arleene Castillo (c/o 2020), Master’s student in Social Work, Columbia University
Allison Graham (c/o 2022)
Junmoke James
Khalid Khamis (former SSI Lab manager, 2019 – 2020)
Courteney Parry (c/o 2022), Research Staff, Princeton University
Garrett Rosenboom, MBA student, Lehigh University
Ben Rosshirt (c/o 2021)
Sara Smolenyak (c/o 2021)
Myunggee Sung (c/o 2021)
Emily Tasik
Mya Tucker (c/o 2020)
Romeo Bahoumda (c/o 2020)
Matt Clark (c/o 2022)
Jack Curtis (c/o 2022)
JohnDerek Daniels (c/o 2020)
Hannah Fabian
Michaela Lewis (c/o 2021)
Michalina Modzelewska (c/o 2022)
Nick Owens (c/o 2022)
Swetha Ramesh