I am a Lecturer (NZ equivalent of Assistant Professor) in the School in Psychology at the University of Auckland. My research centres on the ways in which other people matter in the pursuit of a good life. Specifically, I have three main lines of research examining (a) social interactions and well-being, (b) well-being and morality, and (c) moral improvement. To study these phenomena in ecologically valid ways, I use a diverse methodological toolkit, including experience sampling, naturalistic audio recordings, informant reports, and personality change interventions. Prior to joining the University of Auckland in 2026, I was an Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis and a MindCORE Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. I received my PhD from UC Davis and my BA (Honours) from the University of Melbourne. For more details, please see my CV.
In my personal life, I strive to promote well-being by living vegan and have pledged to give to the most effective animal welfare and global poverty causes. For fun, I am an avid Brazilian Zouk dancer, a beginner handpan player, a long-time classical singer, rock-climber, and dog-mom to my Pomeranian, Kumara. Thanks for visiting my website!
PhD in Psychology, 2020
University of California, Davis
BA (Hons.) in Psychology, 2015
The University of Melbourne
Job market materials, reflections on my job market experiences, and other resources.