Carnegie Mellon University

Relationships Lab

 

 

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Lab Team

 

 

Dr. Brooke C. Feeney

 

 

Brooke is a social psychologist and director of the Relationships Lab.  She has been a faculty member at CMU since 2001 and has worked extensively in the scientific study of relationships.  Her research investigates the general question of how relationships help people address challenges in their lives and function to their full potential.  Her research has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Carnegie Mellon University Berkman Faculty Development Fund.  Brooke teaches courses on relationships, prosocial behavior, and research methods.  Her favorite non-work activities include spending time with family and friends and her dog Berkeley, going to the beach, watching movies, and writing children’s books.

 

 

 

Nataliya Rozinskiy

 

 

Nat is the manager of the Relationships Lab.  She coordinates the implementation of all lab studies and projects, and she oversees the activities of the research assistants.  Nat is the person to contact regarding participation in lab studies or working as a research assistant in the lab.  Nat received her BA degree from Daemen College in Buffalo, NY.  Shortly thereafter, she moved to Pittsburgh with her husband and became the manager of the Relationships Lab (in September 2004).  All of her energy and time outside of the lab these days goes to dealing with her very active and curious 2 ˝ year old son!

 

 

 

Roxanne Thrush

 

 

Roxanne is a fourth year graduate student in the psychology department and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition at Carnegie Mellon University.  She has completed her coursework in social psychology and cognitive neuroscience, and she is currently working on her dissertation project: investigating and creating a neural network model of the effects of attachment and stress on interpersonal cognition, emotion, and behavior.  When she is not studying stress, she is relieving it by running, playing intramural sports, playing the violin, and (time- and stipend-permitting) traveling to new and exciting places.

 

 

 

Claire Andrzejewski

 

 

Claire is a junior who is double majoring in Business and Psychology.  She loves listening to music, going to the movies, and going bowling. She is also pretty obsessed with animals, especially kittens.  She plans to go to graduate school in clinical psychology and open her own practice one day.

 

 

 

Rebecca Ascher

 

 

Becky is a junior studying Biology and Psychology. Her hobbies include sketching, playing piano, being involved on campus, and doing community service with her sorority sisters. Although she’s not exactly sure what she wants to do in the future, she plans to go to grad school in either social psychology or molecular biology.

 

 

 

Jon Chastek

 

 

Jon is a third year Psychology major and plans on attending graduate school to study Neuroscience. He is one of the instructors at the CMU grappling club and does youth work at Hebron United Presbyterian Church.

 

 

 

Rachel Goykhman

 

 

Rachel is a senior at CMU who is double-majoring in Psychology and Russian Studies.  Her interests include observing how people interact, learning about the way children develop, art, music, literature, religion, and travel.  After graduating from CMU, Rachel hopes to attend graduate school in Psychology.

 

 

 

Yoon Guan (Mike) Kim

 

 

Mike is a junior Psychology major at CMU.

 

 

 

Finola McBurnie

 

 

Finola is a junior majoring in Psychology and Russian Studies.  Her hobbies include tennis, reading, and dancing.  She plans to get a PhD in Counseling Psychology and become a therapist.

 

 

 

Kimberley Nederlof

 

 

Kimmy is a freshman at CMU and is double majoring in Psychology and Business.  Over the next 3 ˝ years, she hopes to discover the branch of psychology that interests her the most.  She plans to use her degrees in psychology and business either to become a part of a company that focuses on psychological issues or to start a company of her own.  Her hobbies include sports (competing competitively in track and field here at CMU, soccer, basketball, swimming, and cross country) and various types of art (including drawing, painting, and working with glass). She is a huge animal lover who has 4 dogs and 4 birds!

 

 

 

Ashley Reid

 

 

Ashley is a sophomore at CMU majoring in Psychology.  She loves dancing, designing, shopping, reading, watching movies, and writing. Her goals for the future are to be happy and successful in whatever she decides to do in life.

 

 

 

Mallika Sahay

 

 

Mallika is a freshman Psychology major.  Her hobbies include spending time with friends, reading, sleeping, eating, and trying new things.  After college she plans to go to law school and become a lawyer.

 

 

 

Kyra Singh

 

 

Kyra is a freshman Psychology major who is also minoring in Chemistry.  She enjoys planning events, swimming, reading, and of course, working in the lab!  After she graduates, she hopes to either go to medical school and become a doctor or obtain a Ph.D in Psychology.

 

 

 

Tanaporn (Pie) Vatathakovith

 

 

Tanaporn (Pie) is a senior majoring in biology and psychology.  Her hobbies include watching TV, cooking, and taking dance classes.

 

 

 

Shayna Watson

 

 

Shayna is a senior Psychology major with a minor in Creative Writing.  Her hobbies include student theatre, poetry, and working with children diagnosed with autism.  Her future goals are to obtain a PhD in clinical psychology and become a child psychologist or behavioral therapist for children.

 

 

 

 

Berkeley

 

 

Berkeley has been a presence in the Relationships Lab for all 4 years of his life.  His interests include cuddling, eating, whining (when he perceives he is receiving insufficient cuddles or food), visiting family and friends, napping, playing outside, riding in the car (especially when it involves a drive-thru window and treats), going to doggie daycare (when he wants a break from working in the lab), and playing in the park.  He practices important relationship skills in his daily interactions with others:

 

                                                               

 

 

Lab Alumni

 

 

PhD Students:

 

Joan Monin, PhD

Currently a post-doc at the University of Pittsburgh

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lab Manager:

 

Laura Zajac

Currently a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh

 

 

 

Undergraduate Research Assistants:

 

Lisa Auslander

Nur Aziz

Jamie Barnhorst

Kathryn Baranovich

Julianne Bierwirth

James (Britt) Boyce

Rachel Bryner

Kelly Bunch

Paul Buyanovsky

Peter Caprariello

Allison Carney

Deniz Cebenoyan

Elaine Chen

Elissa Chin

Taj Corinaldi

Kathleen Davis

Melissa DeAngelo

Wendy Edwards

Tom Eliopolous

Dan Fernandez

Mercedes Farrell

Jennifer Fillo

AJ Hawthorne

Elizabeth Herring

Huidian (Dean) Hu

Kristina Izumi

Matt Karg

Angie Kim

Hannah Kim

Ted Kim

Lori Koerbel

Michal Kollnesher

Daniela Kuhn

Amanda Lambert

Sean Lane

Coty Lee

Stephanie Lesniak

Abbie Luff

Gail Margolis

Meredith McConnochie

Megan Miyamoto

Jeannette Mok

Candice Morgan

Rui Munakata

Ben Neenan

Tonnie Ng

Samantha O’Connor

Victoria Pagos

Sterling Rice

Shannon Pereira

Yanikie Scarlett

Maria Shesnyack

Devon Shook

Amar Singh

Danielle Virgile

Amy Virutamavongsa

Haley Vlach

Katie Waite

Erin Walser

Jim Wang

David Weaver

Yanna Weisberg

Joanna White

Maggie Wong

Joy Xu

Esther Yoon