I’m a doctoral candidate at Northwestern University where I co-direct the Center of Media Psychology and Social Influence (COM-PSI) alongside Dr. Nathan Walter. My research broadly examines the emotional, cognitive, and metacognitive mechanisms that shape the ways we interact with– and are ultimately influenced by– various types of mediated information. At its core, my work boils down to two questions: how do the messages we read, watch, and hear make us feel, and how do those feelings shape what we take from them? Focusing primarily on contexts related to health and science, I conduct experiments investigating the role that emotions and affective experiences play in the processing of mis/information, the effects of uncertainty on judgements and decision-making, and the persuasive influence of narrative storytelling. My work has been published in a variety of journals, including Science Communication, Media Psychology, and Journal of Communication, and has received funding from the Delaney Family Foundation. The ultimate goal of my research program is to contribute to the development of communication tools and interventions that promote the uptake of prosocial attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. I’m a graduate of Mercer University (B.A., Communication Studies) and Wake Forest University (M.A., Communication).