Social Program Graduate Students
Cristina Andriani
M.S., Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Nova Southeastern University, 2009; M.A., Marriage and Family Therapy, Syracuse University, 2000; B.S., Child and Family Studies, Syracuse University, 1998.
Faculty advisors: Jaan Valsiner, Ph.D., and Thomas Kühne, Ph.D.
Christina’s current research interests are in the mutual impact of Holocaust trauma and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Jewish-Israeli understanding and experience of past and present. Two key questions she seeks to answer are: How does meaning making of past Holocaust trauma affect Jewish-Israelis current understanding and experience of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? And, how does the experience of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict affect Jewish-Israeli meaning making of collective Holocaust memory?
Kenneth R. Cabell
B.A., Psychology, Clark University, 2011.
Faculty advisor: Jaan Valsiner, Ph.D.
Kenneth is a NSF Graduate Research Fellow. His research interests include how human psychological experience and human psychological functioning are culturally organized through the use of semiotic mediation and symbolic action. Empirical interests include: (1) trait-activation and trait binding in the process of trait inferencing and (2) semiotic trapping. Theoretical interests include methodological innovation such as transcending models of (linear) causality by developing systemic models of catalytic causality.
Sandina Begic
B.S., Psychology, Boise State University, 2000.
B.A., German, Boise State University, 2000.
Faculty Advisor: Jaan Valsiner, Ph.D.
Sandina studies issues related to children born of wartime rape, specifically in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Her current research explores the emotional basis of stigma attached to children born of rape.
Maggie Campbell
B.A., Psychology with a concentration in Human Services and Minor in English, Framingham State University, 2009.
Faculty advisor: Johanna Ray Vollhardt, Ph.D.
Maggie has a wide range of research interests involving the areas of peace, violence, and social responsibility. Currently, she is especially interested in conceptions of good and evil; including how people develop beliefs about good and evil, the role of religion in this process, and how these beliefs relate to people’s political and social opinions. She is also interested in the endorsement of redemptive violence, political media and decision making, moral reasoning, and ways of developing a culture of peace.
Martin Dege
M.A., Psychology, Clark University, 2008; B.A., Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), 2006.
Faculty advisor: Jaan Valsiner, Ph.D.
Martin focuses his research on the philosophical backgrounds of psychology, specifically in continental philosophy, as well participatory research projects. In his dissertation he examines the field of action research with respect to different constructions of subjectivity and their consequences.
Craig Gruber
Advanced Graduate Study, Lancaster University/University of Cumbria (UK); M.S., Johns Hopkins University; Graduate Certificate in School Administration, Johns Hopkins University; B.A., American University.
Faculty advisor: Jaan Valsiner, Ph.D.
Craig’s research interests lie in the areas of history of psychology, educational psychology as well as social and theoretical psychology. His recent work and studies have focused on the role of courage in decision-making as well as the development of theoretical models which have applications in the teaching of psychology as well as learning.
Nikita A. Kharlamov
M.A., Sociology, University of Manchester (UK), 2008; B.A., Sociology, Higher School of Economics (Russia), 2007.
Faculty advisor: Jaan Valsiner, Ph.D.
Nikita is a psychogeographer and a historian of science. His current research is on the culturally-guided microgenesis of environment-related meaning in urban settings. His approach to this process bridges semiotically oriented cultural psychology and phenomenological humanistic geography, and is applied in studies of walking in the city. His other research interests include the development of the concept of marginality, and the reception of ideas of the Chicago School in contemporary urban studies.
Katherine Lacasse
M.A., Psychology, Clark University, 2011; B.A., Psychology, Providence College, 2007.
Faculty advisor: Joseph de Rivera, Ph.D.
Katherine’s research interests span a variety of topics all broadly encompassing socially responsible behavior. She is currently researching the role of self-perceptions in motivating people who “go green” in small ways to take further personal and political action to mitigate climate change. She is also interested in the roles of emotion and social identity in charitable behavior, and the presentation of intergroup conflicts in the media. She has worked with People’s Power & Light on designing and distributing green power marketing messages, and with the city of Worcester on designing a survey to measure residents’ attitudes and behaviors regarding energy-efficiency and renewable energy.
Lucas B. Mazur
M.A., Psychology, New School for Social Research; M.A. Sociology, Jagiellonian University (Poland); B.A., Philosophy/Religious Studies, University of Pittsburgh.
Faculty advisor: Johanna Ray Vollhardt, Ph.D.
Lucas is interested in victim consciousness and the dynamics of social conflict between ethnic, national and religious groups. His research aims to explain variations in the degree to which prosocial attitudes and behaviors arise between victimized groups that acknowledge similarities within the shared category of “victimized peoples.” He is also working on perceptions of victim prototypicality as well as stereotype transformation over the course of sustained collective violence and genocide.
Rashmi Nair
M.Sc., Clinical Psychology, Christ College (India), 2007; B.A., Psychology, English Literature, and Journalism, Bangalore University (India), 2005.
Faculty advisor: Johanna Ray Vollhardt, Ph.D.
Rashmi is interested in the factors that lead to intergroup helping or tension. More specifically, she studies inclusive and exclusive victim consciousness in the Indian context. She is interested in the impact of these distinct kinds of victim beliefs on intergroup relations between various minority groups in India. Additionally, she is further expanding the concept of inclusive victim consciousness, its scope and exploring the different underlying motivations—Strategic/Ingroup focused motivations or Outgroup focused. In addition to this, she is currently also working on focus group interviews with Bhutanese and other refugee and ethnic minority groups.
Joseph R. Schwab
M.A., Psychology, Clark University, 2011; B.A., Psychology, University of Cincinnati, 2006.
Faculty advisor: Jeffrey Arnett, Ph.D.
Joe is a doctoral student in developmental psychology at Clark and often collaborates with the social program. His main research interests include the development of identity, concepts of self, and religious and spiritual beliefs, specifically focusing on how these concepts are constructed through narratives. He is currently working on a project investigating the construction of spiritual and existential identities in emerging adults.
Gabe Twose
B.A., Psychology, College of William and Mary, 2005.
Faculty Advisor: Joseph de Rivera, Ph.D.
Gabe
conducted his dissertation research in Liberia. He is interested
in post-conflict reconciliation mechanisms, particularly the utility of
investigating and publicizing a history of violence. Gabe has previously worked
with the American Psychological Association and Psychologists for Social
Responsibility, and has served as the Student and Early Career Chair of the
Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict and Violence.