PAIR Lab Director
Robert A. Ackerman, PhD
Dr. Ackerman’s research addresses questions about interpersonal relationships using methods and models from both social and personality psychology. It is characterized by three broad lines of work. First, he is interested in developmental factors that contribute to the functioning of adult romantic relationships. His second line of research focuses on how narcissistic attributes impact the development of relationships and how such attributes affect important relationship outcomes in ongoing relationships. Finally, because his substantive interests involve processes that occur within relationships and therefore often involve non-independent data, Dr. Ackerman is particularly interested in analytic models for both cross-sectional and longitudinal dyadic data. Please see his CV for more information.
Graduate Research Assistants
Brianya Bell
Brianya is a first-year MS in psychology student passionate about understanding criminal behavior and the complexities of morality. She plans to pursue a PhD in psychology with a focus on social psychology and developmental processes. In addition to her studies, Brianya works as a Registered Behavior Technician, helping children with autism develop essential skills. Outside of academics and work, she’s a devoted metalhead and enjoys quality time with her cat.
Christopher Latteri
Chris completed a BA in psychology from Pennsylvania State University. He is a third-year student in the psychology doctoral program with a concentration in personality and social psychology. He works primarily with the interpersonal circle and is primarily interested in researching how it can be used to examine dyadic effects of interpersonal behavior.
Kennedy Ariel Millward, MS
Kennedy completed a BA in psychology at the University of North Texas in 2018 and an MS in psychology at UT Dallas in 2020. She is currently a psychology PhD candidate, and her academic research interests involve investigating the impact of sexual coercion on romantic relationships. She also enjoys statistics and dyadic data analysis. After graduation, Kennedy intends to pursue a career in Quantitative UX Research.
Linnea Stahl
Linnea completed both her BS and MS in psychology at The University of Texas at Dallas. She is currently a research assistant at the Center for BrainHealth and School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Her research interests include close romantic relationships, personality, and addiction. She has a particular intertest in working with dyadic data. In the future, she plans to pursue a PhD in psychology and continue working in research.
Erica Vanegas
Erica Vanegas earned a BA in psychology from the University of North Texas and is currently a first-year master’s student in the psychological sciences program at UTD. Her research interests include vulnerable narcissism and contextual psychology.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Angela Cardozo
Angela is currently a psychology major at UTD and plans to continue her studies in educational psychology. She is interested in how individuals learn and how that affects their decision-making and their relationships. Angela is also passionate about learning how other individuals can influence one’s learning. Besides working a part-time job, in her spare time, she enjoys attending concerts, reading books, and watching movies and shows with her friends and family.
Emma Crossley
Emma is a junior psychology major at UTD and plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. Her main research interests include how personality relates to occupation choice, romantic relationships, the predictability of specific behavioral responses, and different types of therapy. Aside from her studies, Emma works part-time, participates in UTD’s dance club, SPYCD, and enjoys spending quality time with her family.
Asna Mahmood
Asna is a senior double majoring in psychology and child learning and development. With strong aspirations of attending graduate school, she aims to pursue a career in social psychology within higher academia. Asna is passionate about researching psychological disorders and their impact on adolescents and young adults, particularly within diverse multicultural contexts. In her free time, she loves to read, perfect her matcha-making skills, and go thrifting.
Varun Narumanchi
Varun is a psychology major at UTD entering his senior year. He plans to attain an MS and PhD in clinical psychology. He is interested in psychopathology, particularly the impact of social factors in the development and maintenance of mental illness, such as the way an individual views themselves and the world or the quality of close relationships. In his free time, he likes to play sports, listen to music, and spend time with family and friends.
Clara Pereira
Clara is currently a psychology major with the goal of getting her PhD in clinical psychology. Her hobbies include listening to music and going on drives. Clara is interested in researching behavior in both children and adults, especially those with high levels of pathological personality traits. In addition, she is interested in studying the boundaries of psychopathology and how mental illnesses can best be differentiated.
Jewel Schmidt
Jewel Schmidt is a 4th year student working towards a psychology and child learning and development double major at UTD. She is very interested in more specific branches of psychology related to behaviorism, personality, and social psychology. She has also always been very fascinated with learning about the interpersonal relationships between people in order to understand those around her better.
Alyssa Vogel
Alyssa is a junior at UTD studying sociology and plans to get her MS in applied sociology. She is interested in researching different personality traits that lead to positions of leadership and extreme wealth, as well as the role of religion in society. She is a member of the student welcome and transition team, and the sociology club at UTD. In her free time, she loves to try new crafts, spend time with her loved ones, and hang out with her three cats Max, Benji, and Sage.