Zhuoya Wang, Honors Thesis Student
Zhuoya Wang is a third-year student at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Psychology and Statistics. She has been part of the HIGHER Lab since her freshman spring. Her research focuses on emotions, intergroup relations, social connections, and the impact of art on people. She is especially interested in connecting people across intergroup boundaries (“us vs. them”). For her honors thesis, she is investigating whether awe can reduce parochial emotions. Beyond research, Zhuoya loves traveling, baking, and ceramics. She also teaches baking as a DeCal facilitator.
Trisha Nguyen, Haas Scholar
Trisha Nguyen (she/her) is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, where she dedicates much of her work to bringing disabled voices and perspectives to academia. Trisha’s work at the HIGHER Lab pushes towards a critical examination of merit as a constructed concept and how merit operates when applied to disabled individuals. She uses research as a form of advocacy and is driven to continue doing so even after her time at Cal. Outside of academia, she likes spending time with two chaotic dogs (Tsuki & Moji), eating good food with family and friends, and binge-watching horror movies!
Katherine Kussler, Thesis Student
I’ve been a research assistant in the HIGHER Lab since August 2022, where I’ve worked on projects exploring political psychology, Social Dominance Orientation, Person-Environment Fit, and empathy. My honors thesis investigates how emotions influence support for healthcare policy. Specifically, I examine how empathy and counter-empathy shape attitudes toward healthcare policies which benefit or harm various marginalized communities. As a Psychology and Public Health double major, this thesis was the perfect opportunity to combine my passion for both subjects and apply the research tools and theoretical concepts I’d developed through my my time in the lab!
Jed Rodriguez, Haas Scholar
Jed Rodriguez is a fourth-year Honors Scholar at University of California, Berkeley majoring in Cognitive Science and Sociology, with a minor in Data Science. He is deeply interested in the intersections of technology and social justice, with academic and research experience spanning AI ethics, public health, and social psychology. On campus, Jed is an active leader facilitating LGBTQ+ student programming through the Multicultural Center (MCC), reflecting his strong commitment to community advocacy and inclusive spaces. Outside of academia, he spent five years working in the tech industry as a UX Researcher at Google and Salesforce, where he developed a sustained interest in human-computer interaction and the social implications of digital platforms. As an Honors Scholar, Jed aims to expand his mixed methods research toolkit through his Sociology Honors Thesis, focusing on social media’s role in shaping political polarization across the Western world. His research uses a mixed methods approach to examine how Reddit’s platform design shapes group identity formation in two distinct and ideologically opposed political subreddits. Grounded in Feminist Science and Technology Studies, his work critically analyzes how platform architecture and reward systems generate social incentives that can foster political extremism and dehumanization.
