CSI Lab Current Members

Michael W. Kraus is Professor of Psychology and Morton O. Schapiro Faculty Fellow at Northwestern University. From California, Michael was trained as a social-personality psychologist at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, where he received his B.A. in psychology and sociology. Michael is a dad, a basketball fan, and a couch potato.

Postdoctoral Scholars

Zi Ting (Louisa) You is a post-doctoral scholar researching the boundaries of ingroup identities in different social identity domains and the consequences of those boundaries for important outcomes including group categorization, bias, and solidarity. Louisa graduated from the University of Toronto with her PhD in Social Psychology. In her free time, Louisa drinks too much tea and commits to travelling almost anywhere for a good bakery.

Primary PhD Students

Megan Burns is a PhD candidate in social psychology studying the psychological and structural conditions that shape how people think about and respond to societal inequality. Her dissertation investigates the psychological processes by which workers contend with and resist labor exploitation. Prior to joining the CSI Lab, Megan received her B.A. in philosophy and psychology from the University of Michigan. In her free time, Megan enjoys cooking for friends, reading, and thrifting.

Daniel Sanji is a third-year graduate student interested in how non-prototypical minority groups (e.g., Asian Americans, multiracial individuals, nonbinary individuals) perceive stereotypes about themselves, how others perceive these stereotypes, and how these perceptions interact to influence intergroup relations (e.g., conflict and solidarity, collective action, political behavior) and identity development. Prior to joining the CSI Lab, Daniel graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Psychology and History, and a minor in Asian American Studies, before beginning a two-year lab manager position at UC-Berkeley. In his free time, Daniel enjoys cooking his favorite Japanese comfort foods, drawing, weightlifting, and traveling the world.

Kylie Davis is a second-year graduate student interested in how people perceive racial and economic inequality and how those perceptions shape support for structural change. She is particularly interested in how social perception and emotional responses influence attitudes toward policies aimed at reducing inequality, especially among advantaged groups. Before graduate school, Kylie worked as a lab manager at the Kellogg School of Management and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She earned her B.S. in Marketing and B.A. in Sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder. Outside of research, she enjoys learning new recipes, reading, and watching movies with friends.

Zein Saleh is a first-year graduate student interested in the psychological and institutional processes through which inequality is produced, maintained, and challenged. His research examines responses to diversity-related change and challenges to group-based hierarchies, how these processes shape intergroup attitudes and political behavior, and how these insights can inform intervention strategies in critical settings (e.g., policy and educational contexts). He received his B.A. in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Outside of research, he enjoys cafe-hopping, catching a movie, traveling, amateur photography, and spending time with friends.

Affiliated PhD Students

Iseul Cha-Ju is a third-year graduate student interested in studying racial socialization processes and their influences on identity and bias development among racially minoritized populations in the U.S. They are particularly interested in examining race-related conversation practices amongst Asian American caregivers, and their influences on youth racial identity and intergroup attitude development. They are a member of both the SCIP Lab and the CSI Lab. They received their BA from the University of California, Irvine in psychological science and minored in gender & sexuality studies.In their free time they enjoy watching movies, collecting movie stub tickets and cassette tapes, and reading graphic novels and comics. They also enjoy journaling, playing the guitar, and dabbling in photography.

Quincy Lherisson is a fourth-year doctoral student studying capitalism's influence on the ways in which people think about themselves, others, and society at large. Originally from New York, Quincy graduated from the University at Buffalo, where he studied psychology and criminology. Outside of academics, Quincy is an avid film buff, a toll-free photographer, and an occasional gamer.

Amaya Mitchell is a fifth-year doctoral student whose research investigates how racial hierarchies and systems of oppression shape the dynamics of close relationships. Her work examines how racism and racialized stereotypes are reproduced in romantic partnerships through intergroup processes and person perception, all operating within enduring structures of power. Grounded in critical theories, her research explores the psychological mechanisms underlying phenomena like racialized attraction, romantic preferences, and the instrumentalization of people of color in relational life. She uses experimental, survey-based, and reflexive qualitative methods to inform theory and develop applied strategies for dismantling inequality in systems of social and emotional intimacy. In everyday life, Amaya enjoys thrifting, following the NBA, and unwinding to chill R&B.

Alana Makaleʻa Smutz is a fifth year graduate student developing three interrelated lines of research on 1) the impact of environmental injustices on Indigenous Peoples relationships with the natural world and how cultural strengths are utilized to continue thriving and taking action in strained environmental realities, 2) the epistemic erasure of Indigenous Science in sociopolitical consciousness and its implications for climate change mitigation, and how Indigenous Peoples build solidarity with other marginalized peoples (and vice versa) to mutually engage in group relevant land-based social justice initiatives (e.g., Indigenous Land Back and Black Reparations). Alana positions herself as a scholar-activist who uses critical methodologies and community collaboration to develop research narratives that make visible the unjust settler colonial structures in society and actualize flourishing Indigenous futures. Beyond school, Alana is a lei maker and haumana hula at Halau I Ka Pono in Oak Park and finds joy in spending time with friends & family.

Honors Thesis Students

Madeleine Bornstein is a rising fourth-year undergraduate student at Northwestern, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Political Science, Business Institutions, and Sociology. Her research interests lie at the intersection of individual psychology and social context, especially the psychological mechanisms that lead people to legitimize or challenge unequal systems. Outside of school, she enjoys dancing, watching movies, reading, and traveling. She's excited to enjoy summer in Chicago by going to concerts, exploring vintage markets, and relaxing on the beach.

Mia Kirdar is a fourth-year undergraduate student interested in how organizational norms shape people’s expectations of success in the workplace, drawing on social role theory. Her research also examines how these norms influence people’s willingness to maintain or challenge existing social systems, with a particular focus on gender and workplace agency. Mia is from Durham, North Carolina, and is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Business Institutions at Northwestern University. This year, she is working on her honors thesis. Outside of school, Mia enjoys cooking, playing NYT games, riding horses, and traveling/going to the beach!

CSI Lab Alumni (faculty, grads, and postdocs)

Aline da Silva Frost, researcher, Sacramento, CA

Chyei Vinluan, researcher, Tufts University

Cydney Dupree (lab co-director), professor, University College, London

Brittany Torrez, diversity and inclusion team, Yelp

Xanni Brown, postdoctoral scholar, UVA

Ajua Duker, professor, New York University

Sa-kiera Hudson, professor, Berkeley

Jun Won Park, diversity and inclusion team, Amazon

Enya Kuo, chief diversity office, Genentech

Jacinth Tan, professor, Singapore Management University

Erika Salomon, data scientist, Medic Mobile

Bennett Callaghan, analyst, City of New York

Julian Rucker, professor, UNC

Natalie Daumeyer, clinical scientist, Everlywell

Banner photo was taken at a 2025 Sip-and-paint lab event!