Members: Faculty | Graduate | Undergraduate | Alumni
Margott Dela Cruz
Margott Dela Cruz obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with summa cum laude and honors in the major, from California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). Her research interest is to explore the psychopathology and treatment methods of affective disorders, specifically anxiety disorders. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. She is currently working with Dr. Carrier and Dr. Cheever on their project investigating the psychosocial factors underlying online news related behaviors by studying people’s reactions to online false information. Also, she is simultaneously working with Dr. Montes on the association between alcohol/smoking identity and negative use-related outcomes.
Gerquetta Jackson
Gerquetta is a psychology major and an undergraduate senior at CSU, Dominguez Hills. Her research interest is in cognitive and biological psychology with a focus on women’s health in the workplace. She plans to attend graduate school to pursue her doctoral degree. She’s a founding member of the new Industrial Organizational laboratory alongside Dr. Ashley Membere as her mentor. She also currently works with Dr. Thomas J. Norman in his Organizational Leadership Effectiveness lab, as well as a member of the Psi Chi International honors society.
Gabrielle Makrdichian
Gabrielle Makrdichian is a senior undergraduate transfer student in psychology with an interest in learning as much as possible about the human brain. She is a research assistant in the George Marsh Applied Cognition(GMAC) Lab, currently working with Dr. Carrier on the Fake News study. She is also currently designing a study involving the usage of smartphone apps to record actual data of smartphone usage while driving to compare to the perceived usage of drivers. The results will be used to further the knowledge surrounding smartphone usage while driving and motivate drivers to be more aware of their smartphone usage while on the road. During the beginning of her academic career at Cerritos College, she became a member of Psi Beta and coordinated an undergraduate group study and poster involving perceived social support and higher education success. Her research interests include memory, perception, learning, post traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in psychology at CSUDH, she plans to enter a PHD program in cognitive neuroscience applying for the Fall 2021 semester and become a professor and researcher. Her hobbies include krav maga, hiking, video games, and billiards.
George Mendoza
George Mendoza is a senior at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). As a major in Psychology, he joined the George Marsh Applied Cognition Laboratory in 2018 and is working under the guidance of Dr. Larry Rosen. As a student researcher, his current project involves the effect that memes across different social media platforms have on mood. Additionally, he is working with Dr. Rosen as a research assistant on a smartphone distraction study. George has volunteered with several service organizations such as the Prison Education Program (P.E.P.), Metropolitan State Hospital, and the Downtown Women’s Center, and he has collaborated with the City of Signal Hill Police Department on community related projects as well. George is interested in pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Ultimately, he is interested in working as a correctional systems psychologist assisting the disenfranchised populations of inmates in a clinical setting. His other interests include the intersection of psychology and technology as well as aspects of abnormal psychology.
Alice Noriega
Alice Noriega is currently an undergraduate senior at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Her research focuses on behavior in the workplace and she currently assists on the Work Place Aggression study with Dr. Thomas Norman. She plans to apply for Masters programs in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Yadira Ramirez
Yadira Ramirez obtained her A.A in Psychology and Sociology, from Rio Hondo College. She is in her Junior year at California State University Dominguez Hills. Her research interests include schizophrenia, neurocognitive, emotional abnormalities, and neuroscience. Yadira is currently assisting Dr. Carrier and Dr. Cheever in an ongoing study examining the effects of America’s views on “fake news”. In addition, she is working with Dr. Montes on evaluating alcohol identity association with negative use-related outcomes. She has earned two consecutive years on the Dean’s Honors List and plans to apply to Clinical Psychology doctoral programs in 2021.
Stephanie Torres
Stephanie Torres is an undergraduate senior at California State University, Dominguez Hills majoring in psychology and minoring in behavioral science. She has always been fascinated with how the mind works and was inspired by a high school psychology teacher to pursue a career in this field. Since becoming a scholar in the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) scholar program, she has been accepted into the George Marsh Applied Cognition Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Larry Rosen. Her research interests include how technology and media affect the mind. She is currently conducting a study exploring the behavioral patterns and motivations regarding self-disclosure on social media. She is also a member of the Toro Ambassadors Program, Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, and the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. After graduating with her undergraduate degree, Stephanie plans to enter a Ph.D. program in Psychology to explore the psychology of technology and media.
Saray Valenzuela-Jaime
Saray is currently a graduating senior. She has been involved in various undergraduate research projects at CSUDH ranging from addiction and identity, to organizational behavior. Saray’s primary focus is on the effects of stress on performance measures. She is currently working on a project pertaining to the effects of mindfulness on employed college students. She wants to understand the potential health benefits of using mindfulness-based practices to alleviate symptoms of stress caused by both work and school. Further, she wants to assess how stress affects work-related outcomes through job satisfaction and productivity, as well as school-related outcomes through measurements of engagement and effort. Saray is currently applying to doctoral programs in Industrial Organizational Psychology for admittance in Fall 2020. Saray is a recipient of the Presidential Scholarship, a member of the McNair Scholars program, and Vice President of the International Honors Society in Psychology (PSI CHI).
Contact Email: svalenzuela24@toromail.csudh.edu
Members: Faculty | Graduate | Undergraduate | Alumni
