HOPE Lab Members
Principal Investigators
Emma Levine
Jane Risen
Jane Risen is the H.G.B. Alexander Professor of Behavioral Science at the Booth School of Business. She is interested in how people form judgments to help them negotiate our complicated, uncertain world. When does reason or intuition have the upper hand in influencing judgment and behavior, and when do the two work in tandem? How do motivational goals and cognitive processes independently and interdependently influence judgment? Her research focuses on topics including intuitive belief, magical thinking, rituals, stereotyping and prejudice, and connecting across lines of difference. She teaches “Diversity in Organizations” and is excited for her research to connect even more to topics relevant for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Erika Kirgios
Erika Kirgios is an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science at the Booth School of Business. In her research, Erika explores the decision-making biases that underlie inequality and designs interventions to improve outcomes for women and racial minorities and to increase prosocial behavior more broadly. She also studies the strategic choices people make in the face of anticipated discrimination.
Shereen Chaudhry
Post-Doctoral Researchers
Laura Wallace
Graduate Students
Yena Kim
Nicholas Owsley
Graelin Mandel
Graelin is a Behavioral Science PhD student at Chicago Booth. She graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in the Joseph Wharton Scholars Program. She is interested in positive behavior change strategies, and work motivation and success. A key focus is how environments – digital, social, and physical – can help build and sustain motivation and effort over time in individuals, workers, and consumers.
Ibitayo Fadayomi
Tayo (Tie-yoe) is a PhD student in Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He graduated from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Booth, Tayo served as the lab manager for Columbia Business School’s Center for Decision Sciences. Tayo aims to uncover when, where, and how behavioral interventions and strategies can be most effective, especially for marginalized populations. Central to these interests are questions relating to behavior change, motivation, identity, and discrimination. He looks to explore these using various research methods including online, lab, and field studies.
Felicia Joy
Roman Gallardo
Roman A. Gallardo is a PhD student of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Roman is broadly interested in intergroup relations, with a focus on stigmatized groups. More specifically, Roman has three lines of interests: the predictors of prejudice and discrimination, why and how group disparities persist, and the psychological factors underlying intergroup conflict.
Nich DiMaggio
Eva Chen
Eva Chen is a Pre-doctoral Research Professional at Booth School of Business. She is broadly interested in judgment and decision making. Her current projects explore responsibility division in interpersonal relationships and team failure, as well as ways to shape people’s mental representations to affect their budgeting behaviors.
Austin Smith
Austin Smith is a HOPE lab manager and holds a B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in Cognitive Science from the University of Pennsylvania. He is interested in behavior change, judgment and decision-making, and moral psychology. He also works as a Research Professional for Dr. Erika Kirgios and Dr. Alex Koch.
Lab Managers
Ryan Bruno
Ryan Bruno is a HOPE Lab Manager and holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from DePaul University. He also works as a Research Professional for Emma Levine and Jane Risen. He is interested broadly in how we can form accurate beliefs about the world, and why we often fail to do so. He is particularly interested in the psychology of unfounded beliefs, dishonesty, and how our beliefs influence ethical decision making.
Rosanna Pottman
Palin Chawinwit
Palin (Pah-Lin) is one of the HOPE LAB managers and a Pre-doctoral Research Professional, working with Erika Kirgios and Alex Koch. She holds a BSc and MSc in Social Data Science from University College London and the London School of Economics, respectively. She is broadly interested in exploring inequality and social evaluation using diverse research methods.
Research Assistants
Ria Dhillon
Ria Dhillon is an undergraduate student at the University of Chicago. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in economics.
Alumni
Former Post Docs
Justin Landy
Former PhD Students
Alexander Moore
Samantha Kassirer
Annabelle Roberts
Kristina Wald
Kristina Wald is a postdoc and lecturer at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She is a former PhD student in Behavioral Science at Chicago Booth, and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and economics from Columbia University. Broadly, she studies interpersonal dynamics, such as impression management, trust, and communication.