Social & Cultural Psychologist
About me
I grew up in the LA area and moved to Fresno, CA to complete my undergraduate studies at California State University, Fresno as part of the Smittcamp Family Honors College. There, I majored in Psychology with a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Global Awareness. I also performed regularly with the Fresno State jazz bands and with a local comedy improv group. During my undergraduate training, I had the great fortune of studying abroad in both Fiji (where I conducted field research for my honors thesis) and Perú (where I honed my Spanish language skills).
I completed my undergraduate honors thesis with the late Dr. Robert Levine whose scholarship, guidance, mentorship, and friendship opened countless doors for me and for so many other students. With him, I studied the associations between subjective well-being and temporal orientations among students, homeless folks in Fresno, and indigenous Fijians.
After graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2018, I moved to Tucson, AZ to pursue a PhD in Social Psychology with Dr. Daniel Sullivan. Outside of academic pursuits, I find myself enjoying the beautiful Sonoran Desert with my wife Brielle, caring for our senior dogs, playing and listening to music, cooking, and watching movies.
Music
I began learning to play guitar when I was 7 years old, and started playing drums and bass shortly after. I love playing jazz, funk, rock, R&B, blues, and country. I currently play drums in a country band in Tucson called the Steel Sahuaros.
Cooking
One of my favorite hobbies in recent years has been cooking. I've been vegan for many years now, and I absolutely love finding, writing, and altering recipes, and it brings me such joy to cook for people I love.
Hiking
I have always felt deeply connected to the outdoors. Growing up, I spent my summers at the beach and my winters snowboarding in the Sierras. Throughout undergrad, I continued to explore the Sierras, and now I have the privilege of getting to explore the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern Arizona.
