People
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, where my research focuses on close relationships and parenthood, especially on how motivation, affect, and mindfulness contribute to healthy relationships and parenting..
I have a diverse range of professional experiences that have shaped how I conduct my work in the lab and the classroom. I completed my PhD in Social-Health Psychology at Kent State University, and postdoctoral training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of California, San Francisco. Previously I served as (a) an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at California Lutheran University, (b) a full-time Psychology Instructor at Clackamas Community College, and (c) a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the University of Auckland, where I maintain an honourary academic appointment.
Brian Don - Director
I am a first year PhD student in the RAMP lab, and a 2023 graduate from the University of California, Davis with Highest Honors and my Bachelors degree in Psychology, with a minor in Education. For my undergraduate thesis, I researched the relationship between various non-monogamous relationship structures and measures of need fulfillment, attachment style, and compersion. Before coming to the University of Auckland, I was involved in research as both a Research Coordinator for the Attraction and Close Relationships lab at UC Davis, and as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Emotions, Motivation, Behavior, and Relationships lab at UC Santa Barbara. As a scholar, I am particularly interested in how shared experiences of awe in intimate relationships correspond to both individual and relationship wellbeing. My broader interests include experiences of positive emotion in close relationships, mindfulness, and the intersection of relationship science and environmental psychology.
Hailey Wooten - PhD Student
Bio coming soon!
Gelber Lemus - Lab Manager
RAMP lab members Brian Don, Renato Ferrer (lab alumnus), Tara Dooley, Manu Kury, and Zanobia Bohra just after Renato’s graduation ceremony in Auckand in 2024.