Hello and Welcome!

I am a PhD candidate in the Cognitive and Information Sciences program at the University of California Merced. Prior to entering my PhD program, I graduated, honors, with a B.S. in Psychology-Neuroscience and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the Pennsylvania State University.

The following are my main research directions, though I engage in a variety of ongoing interdisciplinary collaborations and am open to interesting ideas and conversations. My research interests are a convergence of Behavioral Decision-Making, Implicit Cognition, and Information Visualization. This convergence includes a unique exploration into the impact of cognitive processes activated outside of awareness on data visualizations and risky decision-making. This work, which also delves into visualization comprehension and usage through a goal-centered perspective, is aimed at elucidating how goals shape attentional biases. I employ various methods, including surveys and eye-tracking, to study these intriguing topics.

In addition to my academic research, I am the proud founder and president of the R, Artificial Intelligence, and Statistics Education (RAISE) Organization at UC Merced. This role has allowed me to develop my leadership skills and make a significant impact in the academic community.

In my free time, I am passionate about traveling, drawing and painting, going to museums, and cooking.