Kennesaw State University
Department of Psychological Science
For Research in Culture & Cognition
Dr. Yian Xu | Lab Director
Dr. Xu is an ex banking finance lawyer, occasional fake French & Cantonese speaker, amateur karaoke enthusiast, and dedicated fan of Catan, Mahjong, and Werewolf games. Dr. Xu's research focuses on individual and cultural variations in psychological essentialism, an intuitive belief system that people often rely on to make sense of the world. Dr. Xu is committed to supporting students, especially first-gen undergraduates who haven't had much access to research opportunities. Dr. Xu believes the key to research is all about curiosity, autonomy, and having fun!
Jada Maylor
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Jada is a psychology major in her fourth year at KSU. Member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and KSU's Honors College, Jada is particularly passionate about social psychology and theories of personality, areas in which she aims to focus her future research and career. Beyond her academic pursuits, Jada has a deep love for writing and storytelling, finding joy in crafting narratives that explore the complexities of human behavior and emotions.
Maci DeMott
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hello! I'm Maci DeMott and I am a Junior psychology student working on my minor in Data Science and Analytics! This is my first semester working with Dr. Xu and I'm so excited! I'm, also, an SI leader for PSYC 3000! After graduating from KSU, my goal is to obtain my Specialist degree in School Psychology and return to my rural hometown to serve my community!
Juan Tole
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Juan Tole is a student at KSU pursuing a major in Psychology and a minor in Statistics and Data Analysis. He is currently researching the effects of mindfulness on measures of essentialism while working as a research assistant with Dr. Xu. Juan is interested in researching further into mindfulness, as well as psychopathology, cognitive processes, and perception. Juan plans on pursuing a doctoral degree in Cognitive Psychology.
Treasure Evans
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a Lifetime Member of PSI CHI, President of the Collegiate 100, an active member of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity, and a designated Honors College Research Scholar. My current research capstone focuses on the impact of microaggressions on college students, and studying this impact is important to me because these subtle but harmful experiences can take a real toll on mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being.
Hannah Sexton
Undergraduate Research Assistant
My name is Hannah (she/her), and I’m a Junior Psychology student. Research is such an important part of growing the field of psychology and I’m so excited to be getting involved while I’m an undergraduate. In my free time, I read all kinds of books, do creative writing, and drink way too much coffee.
Shamitha Jone
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hello! I'm Shamitha, a freshman at KSU! I'm a part of Dr. Xu's Mindfulness & Essentialism Research project. I'm intrigued by the power our brain holds by its various functions of it! Some of my hobbies include singing, cooking, and taking long walks during the sunset. I've been trained in singing for over 8 years, and now I teach kids Carnatic music, which is a form of traditional Indian music. My favorite evenings are cooking in the kitchen, with music playing.
Benjamin Watson
Graduate Research Assistant
Benjamin holds a Bachelors in Mathematics and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Mathematics. He has 15 years of expereince in Math education and is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Analytics at Kennesaw State University. His passion is to devleop a knowledge of statistics and data analytics to contribute to patient safety and quality improvement within the healthcare industry.
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