Principle Investigator

Heather C. Lench, PhD
Associate Professor & Department Head
Department of Psychology
Texas A&M University
4235 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-4235
979-845-0377
Email: hlench@tamu.edu
I welcome contact from anyone interested in the lab or with similar research interests. I would also appreciate any comments about the site or recommendations about information that is useful to students.
Doctoral Students

Jericka Battle
Email: jerickabattle@tamu.edu
Jericka S. Battle is a fifth year Ph.D student in the Social-Personality Psychology Program at Texas A&M University. Her primary research interests include the study of the behavioral and affective impact of ostracism within minority communities. In addition to her work on exclusion, Jericka is focused on: employing interdisciplinary theories and methods (cultural psychology, critical race theory, etc.) to better study minority populations; examining power dynamics that contribute to feelings of exclusion, and developing evidence-based intervention strategies to create a sustainable climate of inclusion in small group settings. Jericka is a recipient of the Texas A&M University Office of Graduate and Professional Studies Diversity Fellowship, and is an instructor at Hendrix beginning in 2020, she is a instructor at Hendrix College.

Wan Yidou
Email: yidou@tamu.edu
Website: https://yidouwan.wordpress.com/
Hello! I am a fifth year Ph.D. student. I finished my B.S. in psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My current research projects include the emotion of love, decision delegation and decision making, as well as replication studies. I enjoy teaching, so I am very excited that I will start teaching a psychology class this year.

Robert Tirso
Email: rtirso@tamu.edu
Hello, I am a sixth year PhD student and a member of the Emotion Science Lab. I received my B.S. in psychology from Texas A&M University and am interested in two main lines of research. The first includes self-awareness both in general and with a focus on metacognition in educational settings. The second includes how self-perceptions of aging influence memory and other cognitive abilities in old age.
Lab Manager

Noah Reed
Email: nreed14@tamu.edu
Hello, I am the lab manager for the Emotion Science Lab. I’m currently a 4th year psychology major and my research interests center around motivation, social interaction, and the functions of emotion. It is an honor to be a part of this team and I look forward to serving as a mentor for undergrads looking to gain valuable experience in order to accomplish their future goals and aspirations.
Research Assistants
Cameron Marbach
Howdy! My name is Cameron Marbach and I am a Biomedical Sciences major from Victoria, Texas minoring in Genetics and Leadership Studies; and I am in the class of 2021. I am heavily involved in leadership organizations in the MSC and around campus. For fun, I love to hang out with friends, watch movies and tv shows, as well as read leadership books. My passion in life is leadership development and education. My goal is to eventually obtain a doctorate in I/O Psychology and work as a leadership consultant and researcher.
Cherri Yang
Hello! My name is Cherri Yang and I am currently a sophomore psychology major. I am originally from Frisco, Texas and am thrilled to be a part of the Emotion Science Lab research team! Following graduation, I plan on attending graduate school. I look forward to exploring the cognitive side of psychology during this lab!
Faith Jennings
Harrison Gibbs
Howdy! I am a junior psychology major from Manvel, TX. I am thrilled to be working in Dr. Lench’s Emotion Science Lab. After I earn my B.S. in psychology, I am planning on getting either a Master’s in counseling or a Psy.D in clinical psychology so that I can work with patients in a private practice or hospital setting.
Hope Jeanes
Howdy! My name is Hope Jeanes. I am a member of the class of 2023 and I am majoring in Psychology. After graduation, I plan to pursue a PhD and continue research into emotion, specifically the physical expression of emotion and how emotion plays into deception. I am super excited to be a part of this great research team!
Jeta Brovina
Hello! My name is Jeta Brovina, and I am a senior psychology major. My research interest is primarily focused on the relationship between emotion and human behavior. After graduation, I hope to obtain a PhD in behavioral psychology. I am very excited to be a part of the Emotions Science research team!
Laura Diaz
Howdy! My name is Laura Diaz and I am from Bogota, Colombia. Currently, I am a junior nutrition major and minoring in psychology. When I graduate I want to continue the path of medicine and become a pediatric doctor. I am very excited to be a part of the Emotion Science lab and hope to learn more about specific behaviors, emotions and how it can impact our decision making process.
Madison Snead
Shahrazad Al-Dossari
Yuvia Jan
Hello! My name is Yuvia Jan and I’m a freshman psychology major with a neuroscience minor. I’m very excited to be a part of the Emotion Science Lab! After graduation, I plan to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.
Lab Alumni
Former Graduate Students
Shane Bench – assistant professor of psychology at Utah State University
Logan Berg – research associate for Harvard Business School
Kathleen Darbor – senior quantitative analyst in Hanover, Virginia
Sarah Flores – research analyst at College of the Mainland
Kenneth Perez – assistant professor at University of Connecticut
Former Research Assistants
Kristen Akin – masters student in Forensic Psychology and Law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Cheyenne Miller – masters student in professional counseling at University of Houston-Victoria