I am currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Kent State University. I'm primarily affiliated with the social-health psychology graduate program and I'm also one of the faculty in the Quantitative Concentration program in the department (I teach Structural Equation Modeling). Prior to my position at Kent State, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Healthy Aging at The Pennsylvania State University. I completed my PhD at the University of Toronto in social-personality psychology where my doctoral research was supported by a doctoral fellowship awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the main granting agency for social science research in Canada.

Research Approach

In my research, I use multiple methods to test my hypotheses and, as a result, have developed an expertise in research design and analysis. I have conducted dyadic studies, longitudinal studies, studies using intensive measurement designs such as experience sampling and daily diaries, and some experimental studies. The vast majority of my studies are dyadic and include a daily diary component. To analyze my data, I use advanced statistical techniques, such as structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling, and the combination of both, such as multilevel path models.

In my free time, I like to get outside and explore new places. I love to travel, hike, and paddle (nothing beats spending time kayaking on a beautiful lake or river, surrounded by nothing but nature!). I also love to play and watch soccer, and spend time with my own close others and my dogs. I am also an active volunteer with several organizations that focus on rescuing dogs and have been helping with rescue efforts in my free time.