Madison Montemayor-Dominguez is a 4th-year Ph.D. student in the PAWlab at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Currently, she is conducting research on improving social connection using high-quality listening and curiosity-based interventions. Broadly, her research interests include well-being, positive activity intervention efficacy, curiosity and motivation, and social connection. Before beginning her graduate studies at UCR,…
Nina Radošić is a 5th-year student in the PAW Lab. Her research focuses on the relationship between social connection and well-being, as well as the aspects of conversation that make people feel particularly connected. Nina grew up in Zagreb, Croatia and moved to the U.S. to pursue higher education and got her B.A. in Psychology…
Ramona Martinez is a 5th-year Ph.D. candidate studying social-personality psychology. Presently, she conducts research on the self-regulation of extraverted behavior and its consequences for enduring personality change and well-being. She is also keenly interested in testing individual differences (e.g., dispositional shyness, dispositional introversion) that moderate the effects of acting more extraverted on well-being outcomes. Her…
Stephen Cadieux is pursuing his Ph.D. in social psychology at the University of California, Riverside under the supervision of Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky. He studies well-being, religion, psychedelics, and culture. Before beginning his Ph.D., he was a research assistant studying mindfulness with Dr. Ellen Langer at Harvard University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from…
James Chinn is a 2nd-year Ph.D. student in Dr. Lyubomirsky’s lab focused on the scientific study of subjective well-being. He is particularly interested in how theories from evolutionary biology can clarify what functions our emotions might serve, facilitating our understanding of how they work, and ultimately allowing us to cultivate happier, more fulfilling lives. James…
Tanya Vannoy is a 3rd-year Ph.D. student. Her research focuses on well-being science, including prosocial behavior and social connections. Prior to joining the Positive Activities and Wellbeing lab, Tanya worked professionally in marketing and market research for over 15 years. She was the Associate Director of Marketing for the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival,…