Hyeseung Han

Hyeseung is a first-year doctoral student in the Behavioral Sciences track in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cincinnati. She received her M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Sungkyunkwan University and her B.A. in Art Studies from Hongik University, both in South Korea. Prior to her doctoral studies, she conducted research on the domain-specificity of mindset among adolescents in Korea. Her current research interests center on motivation and mindset from adolescence through early adulthood, and she aims to broaden her methodologies to include experimental and longitudinal approaches. Outside of academics, I enjoy playing the violin and practicing yoga to stay healthy. 

Kitley Kern

Kitley is a second-year psychology MA student with interests in social cognitive psychology, motivation, and the role of arts engagement and media in shaping decision making. She earned her bachelor’s in psychology and creative writing from Franklin College, and she minored in professional writing. She dreams of one day running an academic journal and is passionate about scientific writing becoming more publicly accessible. In her free time, Kitley loves to spend time with her friends, play golf, and start new hobbies.

Jaycee Jones

Jaycee is a first year Masters student in Mental Health Counseling at the University of
Cincinnati. She previously earned her bachelors in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati
in 2024. Jaycee has a huge interest in student motivation, specifically student-athlete’s
motivation. She enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and watching football with her
friends on the weekends.

Emma Graver

Emma Graver is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Psychology at the University of Cincinnati. She is fascinated with student development and motivation and has the goal of becoming a school psychologist. Emma is passionate about understanding how psychological principles can support students' academic and personal growth. As a research assistant in the HIVE lab, Emma has gained experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The work Emma has done in the lab has deepened her dedication to supporting students through evidence- based practices.

Diane Bonilla

Diane Bonilla is perusing her bachelor's in Psychology and is interested in evaluating motivational interventions aimed at improving students' engagement, interest, achievement, and persistence in STEM courses. Additionally, she is intent on investigating how poverty affects children’s ability to learn. Outside the lab, she loves to travel and spend time with her friends and family.

Takondwa Mphande

Takondwa is a second-year international student from Johannesburg, South Africa, pursuing her bachelor’s in both Psychology and Political Science. She is interested in how positive intrinsic beliefs and negative external factors interact to shape student motivation and degree/career persistence. Specifically, she seeks to understand which personal values and beliefs can outweigh strong negative pressures, which external factors can override even strong personal values, and how such external barriers can be mitigated. Outside of the lab, Takondwa is a Peer Educator, President of her book club, and the Student Government director of Gender-Based Violence Prevention. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, trying new restaurants, and going to concerts & sports games.

Audrey Baker

Audrey is a undergraduate senior majoring in Psychology and English at the University of Cincinnati. Her research interests lie in many areas of social psychology, between academic engagement, implicit bias, and prosocial behavior. She is interested in investigating what psychological variables contribute to the motivation of individuals to engage in positive behaviors. When she is not doing research, she likes to read good books, write interesting stories, and spend time with her friends and family.

Angela Humphrey

Angela Humphrey is a 4th year student at the University of Cincinnati. She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Spanish. This is her first semester as a lab assistant, and is eager to contribute to this research on student motivation! 

Magdalen Reckers

Magdalen Reckers is an undergraduate and in her 3rd year as a Psychology student at the University of Cincinnati. Some of her past/present experiences include volunteering at Project Plus as a Facilitator to help underprivileged students between the ages of 5 - 12 years old, participating in an internship located in Dayton, Ohio that improves her knowledge on mental illnesses (diagnoses) and evaluating specific behavior through case studies, and attending a club organization called "CincyServe" where she partakes in making crafts by hand to give to other individuals. She enjoys playing the ukulele, listening to music, and movie nights with her friends.     

Shianne Barrett

Shianne is pursuing her bachelor's in psychology and minoring in public health. She is interested in learning more about the various teaching methods and curriculum, along with the differences in the way students learn, to focus on creating learning spaces that are inclusive for all students. Outside of school and the lab, she enjoys hiking, spending time with her pets and reading.