PEOPLE

Meet the Lab

Karina Schumann | Lab Director

Dr. Schumann completed her PhD in Social Psychology in 2011, under the supervision of Dr. Michael Ross at the University of Waterloo. She continued her research as a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Carol Dweck at Stanford University. Her research focuses on identifying factors that help people successfully manage their conflicts and respond to challenging social interactions in prosocial ways.

Graduate Trainees

JONAH KOETKE
Jonah is a doctoral student in the social psychology program. His research interests include political and moral conflicts and conflict resolution. When he is not doing research, Jonah spends his time playing guitar, listening to music, and spending time outdoors with his dog.

JUSTIN LUDWIG
Justin is a 1st-year graduate student who joined the lab in Fall 2020 after completing his M.A. in experimental psychology at California State University, Fullerton. His master’s research focused on moral cognition and how to measure sentiments of right, wrong, and moral ambivalence. Justin’s current research is focused on the intra-personal (e.g., empathy and moral self-image) and social processes associated with apologies in conflict situations. In his spare time, Justin enjoys playing the drums, watching hockey, reading, and hiking.

Graduate Student Collaborators

ISABELLA KAHHALE
Isabella is a graduate student in the Joint Clinical-Developmental Psychology PhD program. She graduated with her B.S. in Cognitive & Brain Sciences from Tufts University and worked as a research assistant at the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab before coming to Pitt. She is passionate about addressing various downstream outcomes faced by at-risk populations throughout the lifespan. Her current research interests include early life adversity and the impact of such adversity on antisocial behavior (e.g., criminal offending, violence) and prosocial behavior (e.g., empathy development, helping behaviors). She loves getting a good sweat, trying new restaurants, and talking during movies.

BEVERLY CONRIQUE
Bev is a third-year PhD student in Social Psychology minoring in Quantitative Methodology. She is interested in better understanding methods to bridge conflicts in sociopolitical contexts (particularly in the U.S.) in socially constructive and equitable ways. Additionally, she is interested in the application of these findings to inform behavioral interventions to reduce conflict and address social problems more broadly. In her spare time, she enjoys performing improv, writing sketch comedy, and being burritos' biggest fan.

MATTHEW DIABES
Matthew Diabes is a PhD Candidate in Organizational Behavior and Theory at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. His research is motivated by the central question, "What conditions enable positive, productive collaborative relationships to emerge, and how are they maintained?" Specifically, his research interests include communication and coordination processes, interpersonal trust and knowledge-sharing on teams, and the organizational value of well-being (e.g. psychological health, happiness, fulfillment). In his spare time, Matthew likes to hike, garden, cook, and play video games.

LAUREN ROSS
Lauren is a 5th year PhD student in social psychology. She studies social neuroscience, with particular interest in how social factors affect threat responses in the mind and body. In her time off Lauren reads anything non-fiction and naps as much as possible.

Project Coordinator

GABRIELLE HOBBIB
Gabby graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with her B.S. in Psychology and a certificate in Arabic Language and Linguistics. Her research interests include apology behavior, particularly in the context of close relationships, and understanding intergroup conflict, especially those between cultural groups. She enjoys working out, playing the piano, and listening to Taylor Swift.

Honors Thesis Students

ILSE SMILO-MORGAN
Ilse is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh. She is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Administration of Justice and a certificate in Global Health. In the CORE lab, she is conducting an honors thesis on political fake news and intellectual humility. Her research interests are currently in political psychology, political/ideological extremism, and morality. She loves spending time with her friends, traveling and working out.

KEANNE MARCELO
Keanne is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh. She is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Economics with a minor in Legal Studies. She is interested in studying close relationships, interpersonal trust, motivation, and behavioral economics. She is also passionate about exploring the social determinants of health and the role of public policy. In the CORE lab, she is completing an honors thesis on how communication mediums affect victim perceived sincerity and overall success in apologies. Keanne is a foodie who loves to write and travel, spending much of her time trying new restaurants and visiting museums with friends.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

SARA ZANDI
Sara is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh. She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Studio Arts. She is interested in pursuing a career as a Licensed Professional Counselor with a focus in Art Therapy. Sara’s hobbies include playing soccer, hanging out with friends, and painting.

ALISON LEMKE
Alison is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh. She is majoring in psychology and minoring in social work. She is a student behavioral associate at Western Psychiatric Hospital, where she works on the Adult, Child and Adolescent Bipolar Services unit. She hopes to pursue a career in counseling psychology after graduation. Alison's hobbies include running, hiking, and traveling.

LUCA DONNINI
Luca is entering his second semester as a Junior at the University of Pittsburgh. He intends to major in Psychology with either a minor or second major in Italian language. He is interested in the study of human behavior, social interaction, language, and communication as well as how those are represented on a cognitive and neurological level. In his free time, he plays on the Irish Hurling Club team here at Pitt and enjoys watching and playing soccer.