Bernhard Leidner, UMass Amherst, Peace Psychology, People & Members

People

Here a list of the folks who, to various degrees, have been shaping the past, present, and future of the lab. As usual, there's even more people who would probably deserve a spot on this page -- but space is limited, even on the world wide web!

And now enjoy all those lovely faces that did make it on here!

Core Lab Members

(click on a photo for the person's personal page and CV)

Bernhard Leidner

Lab Director

Quinnehtukqut McLamore (2016-)

Graduate Student

Brooke Burrows

Graduate Student

Stylianos Syropoulos

Graduate Student

Heather Kumove

Graduate Student

Core members

Recent Affiliate Members

Alex Kellogg

Current Graduate Student - Social Processes and Health Lab

David Reinhard

Former Postdoc

Kendall Beals

Former Lab Manager

Greg Larsen

Former Graduate Student

Affiliates

Current Undergraduate RA's

Tasneem Mohammad

Lab Manager

Annika Berlin

I am a sophomore research assistant for the War and Peace Lab in the Psychology of Peace and Violence Program. I am currently majoring in Psychology with a minor in Political Science, and am a member of the Commonwealth Honors College. I previously conducted research in the neuroendocrinology field at Syracuse University, and co-author and presented our findings at the Society for Neuroscience in 2019. Although I am also still interested in exploring my passion in the field of neuroscience further, my research interests now include the convergence of political science and psychology. My future goals include attending graduate school, and continuing to pursue my interests potentially in the public policy realm.

Emma McCray

James Duffy

Hi, I’m James! I’m a research assistant for the War and Peace Lab. I’m interested in research about clinical and social psychology. I am pursuing a B.S. in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After graduating I hope to work in the psychiatric department of a major hospital before applying to graduate school.

Livia Iwanicki

I am a lab member of the War and Peace Lab in the Psychology of Peace and Violence Program.
I am currently a sophomore pursuing my BA in Psychology as well as my BA in Spanish at the
Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I am also pursuing
my Undergraduate Translation and Interpreting Studies Certificate, as well as the Professional
Writing and Technical Communication (PWTC) Certificate from the University. This is the first
lab I have been involved in on campus, but I plan on continuing research within the Psychology
of Peace and Violence Program and others. My research interests at the moment are group
processes and intergroup relation, psychological effects of incarceration, and the psychological
effects of aesthetics and design. My future goals include attending grad school and continuing to
pursue my research interests in psychology. Eventually, I would like to work in the field of
correctional psychology. Outside of lab work, I row Division I for the University of
Massachusetts Women’s Rowing team and am involved as a creative writer for the Amherst
Wire.

Liam O'Keefe

Hello, my name is Liam O’Keefe.

I am a research assistant at the War and Peace Lab here at UMass Amherst. In the lab I work running participants through the experiment with my fellow research assistants. I am in the last year of my undergraduate education finishing a dual degree in Psychology and Public Health with a minor in Sociology. My interests surround addiction and how society treats our incarcerated population as well as what can be done to protect marginalized groups. My goals, though prone to change, involve working as a councilor and researcher with inmates to gain experience then going to a graduate program in clinical or social psychology based on my experience in the field. Beyond research I am the Vice President of the Students for Alternative Music, an organization that hosts and plans live music on and around campus.

Amanda Maccaline

Hello! My name is Amanda Maccaline and I am a senior studying Psychology and Sociology as well as some courses in German. I am a research assistant for the lab and am currently running participants. My research interests vary from clinical psychology, wanting to have my own practice, to research in social psychology. My main interests are how interpersonal relationships and interactions are affected by one having a criminal record and/or having been incarcerated. Outside of the lab, I like to play video games and spend time with my family and dogs whenever possible.

David Lawson

I am one of the research assistants for the War and Peace Lab. I am currently a junior pursuing my BA in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and a certificate in Social Work and Social Welfare from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I have been working in research labs on campus since 2019 and have a personal research interest in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. After completing my undergraduate degree, I plan to go on to graduate school and attain a doctorate with a focus in clinical psychology so that I may go into clinical practice and possibly further my involvement in academia and research.

Isabel Howell

Hi, I’m Isabel!
I’m a research assistant for the War and Peace Lab in the Psychology of Peace and
Violence Program. I’m currently pursuing my BS in Psychology with a minor in
Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In terms of research, I am
interested in the interaction between social norms and how that has affected clinical
diagnoses within certain demographics. I hope to delve more into the clinical side of
research, but would like to continue doing research centering around social psychology.
My future goals include attending graduate school in England, where I will be pursuing
my master’s degree in clinical psychology.

Xiara Calderon

Hello, I’m Xiara!
I am a research assistant for the war and peace lab. I’m currently a junior majoring in Psychology. My research interests include personality disorders such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and mood disorders. I’m also a research assistant at a clinical research lab that focuses on BPD and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). My goals include attending a clinical psychology Ph.D. program and continuing to pursue my research interests in emotional dysregulation, personality and mood disorders. I am also interested in exploring the comorbidity of personality disorders, depression, and suicidal ideation.

Joshua Littlefield

My name is Joshua Littlefield and I am a Psychology Major set to graduate in 2022. While most
studies within psychology interest me, I am particularly interested in research concerning
emotions, social cognition, and belief systems. After graduating I hope to earn a PhD in order to
practice as a clinical psychologist.

Crystal Li (High School Student)

Hi, I’m Crystal!
I’m a high school junior from Maryland who is volunteering at the War and Peace lab. Through the mentorship of the lab’s members, I hope to gain experience in psychological research and to learn more about topics such as political psychology, science communication, and intergroup conflict. I am interested in the causes and consequences of political polarization, as well as the role of political identity in science communication, information processing, and motivated reasoning; I aspire to research these issues in the future.
Currently, I attend Richard Montgomery High School’s International Baccalaureate magnet program and I’ll be working on a psychology Extended Essay (research paper) for my diploma.

Former members

Erin Gabriel

Hi my name is Erin, I am a research assistant for the War and Peace Lab. I am a Junior majoring in Psychology with a Pre-Med track and I am hoping to continue my education into a graduate PhD program in Neuropsychology.