Abigail Collins (Visting Scholar)
Abigail (amcollins3@wisc.edu) graduated from UW-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with honors. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology. She is interested in studying how fostering worker well-being, engagement, and belonging can lead to a decrease in burnout and an increase in life satisfaction. She is also interested in the effects of inclusive paid leave policies and shifting worker norms. She intends to explore and utilize I/O psychology research to positively impact the lives of employees as an I/O practitioner. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, baking, finding new coffee shops, and spending time with friends.
Shiyu Yang (Visting Scholar)
Shiyu Yang (syang494@wisc.edu) earned her M.S. in Data Science in Human Behavior from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences from UC Santa Barbara. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Social Psychology. Her research interests focus on group membership and social identity perception. Currently she works with Dr. Stav Atir on studies of name perceptions. She uses both experimental methods and large-scale data to explore these topics. Shiyu also works with Dr. Nick Buttrick at UW–Madison, studying college experience through socioecological and cultural psychology lenses. In her free time, she enjoys watching reality TV, gaming, cooking, and hiking.
Abbie O’Byrne (Senior Thesis Student)
Abbie (aobyrne@wisc.edu) is a senior double majoring in Psychology and Neurobiology with a certificate in Leadership. She is interested in studying the impact of gender-based identification of professionals by their last name on assessments of competence in their field. She is President and founder of Global Medical Brigades, an RSO connecting pre-Health UW students with clinics around the world. She is also Service Director for APO: Beta Theta, a UW service fraternity. She currently works as a CNA at Outreach Community Health Centers (formerly Healthcare for the Homeless) and as a teaching assistant for the UW Chemistry department. She plans to attend Medical school to become a dermatologist. In her free time, she enjoys caring for and shaping bonsai trees, drinking exotic teas, and writing poetry.
Arushee Menon (Senior Thesis Student)
Arushee (amenon25@wisc.edu) is a junior, double majoring in Psychology and Neurobiology. They are the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair for the UW Madison Chapter of Psi Chi, a National Honors fraternity for Psychology. They are interested in studying how people’s perceptions affect their speech patterns, and plan on attending graduate school to obtain a PhD. In their spare time, Arushee plays badminton, sketches, and reads.
Ela Altay (Undergraduate Researcher)
Ela (ealtay@wisc.edu) is a freshman double majoring in Psychology and Sociology. She chose these majors to understand the effects of culture, gender, and communication differences on how societies and communities function. She wants to research how the psychology, behavior, and development of said individuals create distinguishable communities. She plans on attending graduate school and obtaining a PhD in hopes of pursuing a career in academia/research. Ela is on the UW Madison MENA (Middle Eastern North African) Board planning campus-wide cultural events for MENA heritage month in March 2025. In her free time Ela enjoys going to concerts, traveling, trying new cuisines, working out, and reading.
Caroline Burns (Undergraduate Researcher)
Caroline (cgburns3@wisc.edu) is a junior majoring in Neurobiology on the pre-medical track. She is fascinated to learn more from those around her and truly believes each person can teach a lesson to another. After undergraduate study, she hopes to attend medical school where she will learn from those with more experience while practicing more effective learning techniques. She hopes to become an Anesthesiologist after medical school. In her free time she loves running and walking, baking, being by the lake, and spending time with friends and family.
Ranveer Viradia (Undergraduate Researcher)
Ranveer (viradia@wisc.edu) is a junior majoring in Neurobiology and Psychology on the pre-med track. He is passionate about understanding how the brain functions, particularly in the realm of decision-making. After completing his undergraduate studies, he plans to attend medical school and pursue a career as a surgeon. Beyond academics, he has contributed to healthcare initiatives in India by organizing medical camps and blood donation drives. In his free time, he enjoys watching Formula 1, going on nature hikes, and playing pickleball.