Recent Lab Alumni
Jose Zuniga ‘21
Jose graduated Pitzer College in 2021 with a major in psychology. His research interests generally involve trauma among minority youth and emotion-regulation, culturally competent therapy, evidence-based therapy, and exploring the effects of childhood trauma on development using a life-span approach. Outside of the lab, Jose enjoys hiking with his wife, basketball, and photography.
Elizabeth Kreppel
Liz, is a senior undergraduate student majoring in psychology and organizational studies at Pitzer College. Her research interests include: peer support, mental health, education, growth mindset, peer counseling training and researching the most efficient ways to implement peer support model. Liz is currently working on a meta-analysis. Outside of the lab, Liz enjoys spending time with friends, going on hikes, and playing soccer.
Julia Ho
Julia is a 4th-year undergraduate at Pitzer College, majoring in psychology and minoring in studio art. Her research interests include exploring different modes of art therapy, peer and online counselling, understanding eating disorders and treatment, and wellbeing. She enjoys track and field, and in her free time, loves graphic design, singing, and cooking and baking.
Lila Avendano Dreyfuss ‘23
Lila, is a 2nd-year student at Pitzer College, she is majoring in Psychology and Organizational Studies. Lila's research interests include: positive psychology, healing from trauma, global mental health, and mindfulness. She eventually wants to obtain a PhD in psychology to increase access to mental health care for underserved communities. Aside from working as a Research Assistant, Lila enjoys: meditating, surfing with friends, phone-calls with her family in Oaxaca, Mexico, and listening to R&B music.
lavendan@students.pitzer.edu
Stella Li ‘21
Stella graduated Pitzer College and majored in combined Organizational Studies and Psychology with a concentration in Data Science. Her research interests include workplace sexual harassment and their relationship to job satisfaction and mental health outcomes. She’s also interested in exploring the origin of different workplace cultures worldwide. Stella was a member of the Claremont Debate Union, the admission fellow, and loves vlogging and blogging in her spare time.
Danielle Kursh ‘22
Danielle is a senior at Pitzer College, currently working towards getting her degree in both Psychology and Philosophy. Her research interests include Dialectical Behavior Therapy, developmental psychology, and emotional intelligence. She is currently writing an honors psychology thesis on the connection between COVID-19 precautionary behavior and emotional intelligence, and hopes to one day become a therapist. Aside from school and lab work, Danielle enjoys art, music and hanging out with her fluffy dog.
Alison Cary ‘22
Alison is a senior at Pitzer College double majoring in Psychology and Spanish. Their research interests include mindfulness, treatment for co-morbid disorders, expanding online resources for more accessible and consistent care, long-term effects of trauma, as well as empirically informed, culturally competent interventions. Alison hopes to pursue Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and become a practicing therapist. Beyond the lab, Alison enjoys singing in an a cappella group at the 5C’s, painting, and making playlists.
Jenna Ledbetter
Jenna is a senior undergraduate student at Pitzer College. Her research interests generally revolve around clinical psychology, particularly in the field of eating disorders. In the future Jenna plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology in order to find a career in psychology research. When outside of the lab, Jenna enjoys spending time with her friends, her cousins, and her brother.
Lily Kraft ‘22
Lily Kraft is a senior at Pitzer College, majoring in Psychology and Legal studies. Her research interests examine a wide variety of trauma-informed approaches such as restorative justice and plant-based medicine. In addition, she is passionate about utilizing psychology to educate lawmakers on evidence-based rehabilitation programs that have been shown to reduce recidivism. Outside of the lab, Lily can be found dancing, picnicking, or hiking somewhere in the mountains.
Tanvi Duggal ‘22
Tanvi is an international student from New Delhi, India. She is a senior at Pitzer College majoring in psychology. Her research interests include mental health, positive psychology, and mindfulness. Tanvi eventually hopes to obtain a graduate degree in clinical psychology and become a therapist. Her best friends are her four dogs, who have taught her how to give unconditional love and be a great listener! Tanvi loves spending time with her family and friends, listening to music, painting, and traveling.
Saiarchana Darira ‘22
Saiarchana is a graduate of Arizona State University triple majoring in Psychology, Global Management, and Social and Cultural Analysis (Peace Studies). Her research interests include the global destigmitization of mental health, conflict mitigation, and the connection between peacebuilding initiatives and mental health. Along with mental health advocacy, she does work to advocate for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. In her free time, she teaches mindfulness at her university.
Xuwen (Kevin) Hua ‘23
Xuwen (Kevin) Hua is a fourth-year student at Pomona College studying Math and Psychology. For Kevin, human beings are like puzzles that he is especially drawn to understand. He is passionate about studying individual self-awareness and mental health. He aspires to pursue a clinical psychology Ph.D. program and becomes a therapist in the future. Always curious about others’ life stories and perspectives about the world, Kevin also sees learning psychology as an avenue to elaborate and explore different ways of human existence. In his free time, Kevin likes to read, listen to podcasts, and spend quality time with friends.
xhaa2019@mymail.pomona.edu
Ruth Befekadu ‘24
Ruth is a junior at The University of Texas at Austin majoring in Psychology and getting a certificate in Social Inequality, Health, and Policy. Originally from Ethiopia, she is passionate about improving mental health care in underserved settings, especially through local resources. She’s also interested in overall mental wellbeing within contexts of peacebuilding and development. In her free time, she loves listening to podcasts, serving in her church’s choir& trying food from every single country!
Janny Wu ‘25
Janny is a sophomore from Pitzer college. She is double majoring in Psychology and Environmental Analysis. Her research interest include environmental impact on mental health, personality, and global mental health. She enjoys making art, taking care of her pets, and snowboarding in her free time.
Kaitlyn Chin
Kaitlyn is a sophomore undergraduate student attending Scripps College majoring in Human Biology with an area focus in Psychology. Her research interests involve developmental psychology, culturally competent care, healing from trauma and rehabilitation pertaining to incarcerated individuals, and structural interventions that work towards reducing and eliminating health disparities. In her free time, Kaitlyn loves to garden, learn about sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty, go on hikes, and make art with her friends.
Emily Bisaga ‘23
Emily Bisaga is a 4th year student at Claremont Mckenna College. She is majoring in Human Biology and plans to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Her research interests include equitable healthcare, holistic care, community care, anti-capitalist praxis, trauma informed care and healing through art. In her free time she likes to rock climb, create ceramics, play guitar and walk in the mountains with her friends.
ebisaga22@students.claremontmckenna.edu
Daniel Lee ‘22
Daniel has lived in California all his life and calls San Diego his hometown. He graduated Pitzer College majoring in Human Biology with an emphasis on Psychology. Outside the classroom, he loves to cook and eat good food, travel, and enjoys watching and playing basketball. He hopes to work in the mental health field and is currently leaning towards being a psychiatrist.
Pratya Poosala ‘24
Pratya is a third-year undergraduate at Pitzer College. Her research interests span across global mental health, clinical neuropsychology, narrative therapy, the de-stigmatization of mental health, and the harnessing of modern technology in the field of psychology. In her free time, she loves writing, reading, taking walks, and analyzing movies with her friends!
Lizbeth Valdivia-Jauregu
Lizbeth is currently a 3rd year BA student majoring in psychology at Scripps College. She is interested in research focused on mindfulness, positive psychology, healing justice, and community psychology. Lizbeth is determined to pursue a PhD in Clinical psychology after she completes her undergraduate degree. Outside of research, Lizbeth enjoys volunteering at community gardens, thrifting with friends, and reading on liberation movements.
Jared Weisman ‘19
Jared graduated from Pitzer College in 2019 and now works as a senior laboratory technician at MCR Labs, LLC in the greater Boston area. At Pitzer, Jared majored in human biology and authored a thesis on medicinal cannabis, which has since been published in the Journal of Cannabis Research. Jared’s research interests include the medicinal applications of cannabis and hallucinogens, and he has also collaborated with Dr. Marcus Rodriguez and other scholars on several mindfulness-related studies. In his free time, Jared enjoys going on camping trips with friends, cooking meals at home, and volunteering at local farms.
Yilin Li ‘22
Yilin, is a PhD candidate at University of Notre Dame. She graduated from Pitzer with a double major in psychology and data science. Her research interests include: mindfulness, learning abilities, self-compassion, peer counseling and exploring how to become “one’s personal best.” Outside of the lab, Yilin enjoys fishing, playing ping-pong, practicing mindfulness and hiking.
Natalie Buehrer ‘21
Natalie is a Pitzer College graduate who majored in Psychology. Her research interests include gender-based violence, traumatization as it relates to the criminal justice system, and creating accessible and culturally competent mental health care. Natalie eventually hopes to obtain a graduate degree in clinical psychology and practice trauma-informed therapy. She is currently working full time as a researcher at UCLA. In her free time, Natalie enjoys hanging out with her friends, walking her dog, and listening to crime podcasts.
Carolyn Williams ‘21
Carolyn graduated from Scripps College and majored in Psychology. Her research interests include the development of psychopathology, parental influence, culturally competent research/care, and creating accessible resources for underserved communities. Carolyn eventually wants to obtain a PhD in Clinical Psychology, and become a therapist and researcher. In her free time, Carolyn loves spending time with her family and friends, going on hikes, listening to, playing, and writing music, and watching a variety of interesting movies.
Hava Sprung ‘23
Hava is a senior at Pitzer College majoring in combined Psychology and Sociology, focusing on the intersection between the two, especially as it relates to child development. Her research interests include early childhood social-emotional development, restorative practices, and Psychology as it relates to parenting. When not in school, Hava is currently a paralegal intern for Children’s Rights, a child welfare litigation and advocacy organization. She loves to hike, cook, and give people recommendations for visiting Seattle (she grew up there and is kind of obsessed—although California is pretty nice too).
Juliana Gutierrez ‘23
Jules is a 4th-year student at Claremont McKenna College, majoring in Psychology. Her research interests include trauma-informed care, healing from trauma, resilience, and the prevalence of sexual violence against women in Latinx communities. Jules eventually hopes to obtain a PsyD in Clinical Psychology and practice trauma-informed therapy. Outside of the lab, she enjoys singing with her 5C a cappella group, dancing Reggaeton and Bachata, writing spoken word poetry, and eating cheese.
Juliana Hwang ‘23
Juliana is a fourth year undergraduate student at Pitzer College double majoring in Psychology and Sociology. Her research interests include mental health, child development, and social psychology. Juliana eventually hopes to obtain a graduate degree in school psychology to become a school psychologist in a public school. In her free time, Juliana enjoys working out, listening to K-pop, sleeping, eating snacks, and watching movies.
Crystal Widado ‘27
Crystal Widado is a senior at Glendora high school interested in journalism and psychology. They are currently researching academic burnout in Asian female high school students and are interested in intersectional mental health advocacy. Outside of research, they are an instructor at the Claremont Colleges Debate Union and enjoy listening to podcasts and exploring local coffee shops in their free time!
crystalwidado@gmail.com
Liam Davis-Bosch ‘24
Liam Davis-Bosch is a senior at Pitzer college majoring in psychology with a minor in data science. Their research interests include intervention based research in schools, specifically in trauma-informed care and early childhood social, emotional and behavioral outcomes. Post graduation, Liam aims to obtain a Ph.D. in clinical psychology to continue these research foci. Outside of the lab Liam enjoys spending time with friends, cooking, and being involved through on campus jobs and organizations.
ldavis@students.pitzer.edu
Kaitlyn O’Connor ‘25
Kaitlyn O'Connor is a Pitzer junior pursuing a double major in Psychology and Spanish. She intends to eventually pursue a higher degree in psychology. Kaitlyn’s interests lie in clinical psychology which she hopes to eventually translate into a career where she works in a hospital setting so she can help children facing significant medical challenges. Kaitlyn had multiple brain surgeries as a child to address epilepsy and hopes to draw upon those experiences to help others. Her research interests are centered around resilience following adversity/trauma. Outside of the lab she enjoys spending time with her friends, watching sports, particularly baseball and basketball, and being involved on campus through clubs and her job.
koconnor@students.pitzer.edu
Paige Chassman ‘25
Paige Chassman is a third-year at Pitzer College, majoring in Psychology. Her research interests include dance/movement therapy, art therapy, de-stigmatization of mental health, and alternative medicine practices. Paige eventually hopes to obtain a graduate degree in clinical psychology and become a therapist with a certification in dance/movement therapy. Outside of the lab, Paige can be found doing art, spending time with friends, hiking, or dancing.
pchassm@students.pitzer.edu
Huei Ming Lim ‘25
Huei Ming is a junior at Pitzer College majoring in Psychology. Her research interests include invalidation and trauma with a focus on sexual assault and harassment. Eventually, Huei hopes to get a graduate degree in clinical psychology, set up a practice and pursue research. In her free time, she enjoys oil painting, singing, playing the ukulele and supporting the All Blacks!
hulim@students.pitzer.edu
Marissa Markey ‘25
Marissa Markey is a junior at Pitzer College majoring in Psychology. Her interests include sports psychology and developmental psychology. She hopes to either pursue a graduate degree in Sports Psychology and work with young athletes to improve their mental game, or pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and work as a child psychologist. In her free time, she enjoys playing and coaching tennis, reading, going to the beach, and spending time with friends.
mmarkey@students.pitzer.edu
Erica Hjelle ‘24
Erica is a senior at Pitzer College studying Psychology. Her research interests include accessible mental health interventions and the intersection between Buddhist philosophies and the conceptualization of mental health. Outside of the lab, Erica enjoys traveling, going to the beach, and exploring the greater LA area. After Pitzer, Erica hopes to pursue graduate studies and earn a degree to practice clinical psychology.
ehjelle@students.pitzer.edu
Danika Petit ‘25
Danika Petit is a third-year at Pitzer college and is majoring in Psychology and potentially minoring in Philosophy. Danika’s interests lie within clinical psychology and she plans on pursuing a Ph.D. and developing a career in this field. She is particularly interested in becoming a therapist and being able to connect with people around the world. Though this is really just the beginning of the journey, she hopes to continue to find what further sparks her passion in this field. Outside of the lab Danika enjoys skiing, hiking, martial arts, volleyball, horseback riding, traveling, teaching pilates, and spending time with her family and her two dogs: Prospect and Nova!
dpetit@students.pitzer.edu
Rhea Mistry ‘25
Rhea is a third year at Pitzer College majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience. Her research interests include child development, parental influences, mental health de-stigmatization, and socio-emotional development. Rhea eventually hopes to obtain an MD and practice child and adolescent psychiatry. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, yoga, drawing, and screen printing!
rmistry@students.pitzer.edu
Mariah Menaker ‘24
Mariah Menaker is a senior at Pitzer College, double majoring in psychology and philosophy. After graduating from Pitzer, she intends to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Mariah is interested in both clinical work and psychological research. Her research interests include child development, peer support and assessing the efficacy of different therapeutic models. Her clinical interest is in providing therapy to children and underserved populations. In her free time, Mariah enjoys teaching skiing to people with disabilities, leading trips for Pitzer’s outdoor adventure club, making dinner with friends and being in nature.
mmenaker@students.pitzer.edu
Lab Alumni
Eli Fujita, Pitzer College ‘19
Lauren Sung, Orange County School of the Arts ‘25
Xian Cao, Auburn University '21
Kimia Mahdavi, Scripps '21