CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
Trinity Gill, Project Lead
Projects: Framing and Consumer Decision-Making
Bio: Hi! I’m a junior undergraduate student from Raleigh, NC, majoring in Psychology (B.S.). I plan to apply to graduate school to pursue a doctorate in social psychology with a focus on research. Currently, I am leading a project on loss aversion and economic decision-making. I am excited to continue to deepen my understanding of the research process and gain valuable skills for my future career, and am thrilled to learn from Dr. Buzinski and to be part of the SDS team!
Eiman Elkoumy, Project Lead
Projects: Autonomy, Culture, and Motivation
Bio: Hi! I am a senior undergraduate student from Cary, NC. I was born in Egypt and moved to the U.S. in 2013. I am a Psychology B.S. major with a double minor in Chemistry and Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies on the pre-med track. I am interested in a career in pediatrics as well as behavioral science research. I find it fascinating to know why people behave the way they do, especially children, and how the environment around them impacts them in the future. In the SDS lab, I am working alongside Sarah and Dr. Buzinski to research autonomy and restriction on academic and health motivation. I also run the non-profit, Haqq publications, and the Mental Health Service Initiative here at UNC. I am excited to be part of the SDS team and learn from Dr. Buzinski.
Emma Bohnert, Project Lead
Projects: Framing and Consumer Decision-Making | Autonomy, Culture, and Motivation
Bio: Hi! I am a junior undergraduate student from Fayetteville, NC, majoring in Psychology (B.S.) and Sociology with a minor in Neuroscience. I plan to apply to graduate school to pursue a career in forensic psychology, ultimately working with the FBI. I am passionate about understanding the psychological and social factors that influence human behavior, particularly in a criminal context. In the SDS lab, I am excited to expand my research skills, learn from Dr. Buzinski, and contribute to projects that explore decision-making and social behavior.
Cyrus Zarif, Project Lead
Projects: Social Anxiety and Active Learning
Bio: Hi! I am Cyrus Zarif. I am a senior undergraduate student from Shelby, NC. I am currently working to earn my degree in psychology (BA). After graduating, I plan to pursue my master’s and then doctorate in psychology. After that I want to become a research professor, focusing on social psychology. I have always loved reading through research and learning new things about how people interact in social environments. It is my honor to be a part of the SDS team and to learn firsthand from Dr. Buzinski.
Whitney Williams, Project Lead
Projects: Scarcity, Mind Perception, and Morality
Bio: Hi! I am a junior undergraduate student from Waxhaw, NC, majoring in psychology (BS) and minoring in philosophy and neuroscience. After graduating, I plan to pursue a PhD in social psychology and a research career. Currently, I am researching whether perceptions of others’ financial scarcity or abundance affect moral typecasting and judgments. Broadly, I am interested in moral and political psychology, including understanding how people come to make decisions about who is “deserving” of seemingly scarce resources beyond ingroup preferences. In addition to this, I am interested in how various structures and values influence these decisions. I hope to explore how structural change and reduced inequality can lead to beneficial downstream outcomes, including reduced discrimination and polarization. I am excited to learn more about the complexities of decision-making from Dr. Buzinski and other SDS members!
Grace Solie, Research Assistant
Projects: Autonomy, Culture, and Motivation
Bio: Hey! I am an undergraduate senior from Wyoming and Colorado. I am majoring in Psychology (B.A.). I am planning on attaining my doctorate in social psychology research. I am interested in how different cultures affect decision making. I will be working with Emma on the Cross cultural freedom reactance project. I am excited to be working with SDS and learning more about research from Dr. Buzinski.
Anna Laborde, Research Assistant
Projects: Social Anxiety and Active Learning
Bio: Hi! I’m a senior undergraduate student from Cary, NC, majoring in Psychology (B.S.) with a minor in Anthropology. I plan to apply to graduate school to pursue a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and am interested in how attention spans are affected by one’s environment, particularly the effects of phone dependency on younger generations. Outside of the classroom, I am on the varsity rowing team here at UNC. I am looking forward to being a part of the SDS team and learning from Dr. Buzinski!
Gaby Bernardo, Research Assistant
Projects: Social Anxiety and Active Learning
Bio: Hi! I am a third-year student from Huntersville, NC majoring in Psychology (B.S.) and intend to attend graduate school to pursue either clinical or social psychology. I have a particular interest in the interactions between education and mental health for children and adolescents. Outside of the classroom, I have the opportunity to work with elementary school students as an Ignite Fellow with Teach for America, as well as play on the Women’s Club Lacrosse Team here at UNC. I am thrilled at the opportunity to learn from Dr. Buzinski and everyone else at the SDS Lab!
Michael Pierre Welsh, Research Assistant
Projects: Autonomy, Culture, and Motivation
Bio: Hey! I am a junior undergraduate student from New Orleans, LA. I am majoring in Psychology (B.S.) with a minor in Neuroscience, and I intend to apply to graduate school to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology. I am interested in the factors that influence decision-making and how context changes the prioritization of these influencing factors. I am looking forward to working with and learning form Dr. Buzinski and the rest of the SDS team!
Olivia Walker, Research Assistant
Projects: Framing and Consumer Decision-Making
Bio:Hi! I am a junior undergraduate from Garner, NC, majoring in Psychology (B.S.) with a minor in Neuroscience. I plan on obtaining a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling before a PhD in Clinical Psychology, with the hopes of working in a forensic and legal setting performing evaluations. I am interested in learning about the factors that influence decision making, especially in legal contexts. I look forward to developing my research skills under Dr. Buzinski and the SDS team!
LAB ALUMNI
Sarah Soson, B.A.
Ella Park, B.A. expected 2027
Jordan Goetze, B.S.
Olivia Smith, B.S.
Amit Ariely, B.S.
Sophia Kovacs, B.A.
Couper Wilkins, B.A.
Nina Fisher, B.S.
Vishal Easwar, Ph.D. Candidate
Lauren Hamm, B.A.
Zach Reulbach, B.A.
Karolina Tuska, B.S.
Diana Bodea, B.S.
Brooke Scullin-Baccarella, B.S.
Glorimel Rodriguez, B.A.
Dr. Elle Hepburn, M.D.
Benjamin Weinberg, B.S.
Dr. Emma Armstrong-Carter, Ph.D.
Kendall Parker, J.D.
Cheyenne Tabb, M.S.
Nicole Court-Reuss, M.A.
Dr. Samantha Martinez, Ph.D.
Hayley Maxwell, B.A.
Dr. Benjamin Buck, Ph.D.
Dr. Matthew Cohen, Ph.D.
Dr. Jenna Clark, Ph.D.
Taylor Fricano, B.A.
Sydney Mark, J.D.
Elena Scialabba, J.D.
Shannon McGovern, M.S.
Savanna Stakely, B.S.
Victoria Herschel, B.S.
Allison Price, B.S.
Melanie Yeames, B.A.
Alex Edwards, B.S.
Dr. Hannah Samuelson, Ph.D.