People

Julia Strand (B.A., Tufts University; PhD., Washington University in St. Louis) teaches courses including Introduction to Psychology, the Psychology of Spoken Words, and Sensation & Perception. Her research focuses on how humans are able to turn sensory information about speech into meaningful representations. Topics of research include how cognitive abilities influence language perception, what traits of words promote easy recognition, how word recognition abilities change with age, and how visual information (seeing the talker) influences language processing.

Adina was a Psychology major and is from Helena-West Helena, Arkansas. She graduated in 2024 and is now working as a Lab Manager with the Perception Lab. Her favorite topics of research are racial appearance bias and African American intragroup bias. In her free time, she enjoys baking, taking walks, and coloring.

Salma is a cognitive science major and potential Spanish minor on the pre-medicine track from St. Paul, Minnesota. On campus, she’s involved in the Muslim Student’s Association(MSA) and Carleton’s Pre-Health Association(CPA), and works as a resident assistant. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching tv shows/movies, and spending time with friends!

Alyssa is a junior statistics major and Spanish minor interested in the application of data analysis to environmental problem-solving and the social sciences. She is a Filipina born and raised in O’ahu, Hawai’i— two identities that significantly motivate her pursuits. When away from the lab, she finds joy in playing for the DIII women’s frisbee team Eclipse, working with Sharing Our Farm in partnership with the CCCE, making the outdoors more accessible for the student body, and inquiring about people’s life stories.

Vivian is a junior from Columbus, Ohio majoring in Psychology and minoring in French and Statistics/Data Science. On campus, she is a member of the Jazz and Contemporary Dance Company (JCO), plays ultimate frisbee for Nova, and volunteers for Project Friendship. In her free time she loves listening to music and spending time with friends.

Aroma is a prospective biology or chemistry major with a potential Spanish minor on the pre-med track, from Louisiana. On campus, she works as a resident assistant, is involved in Carleton’s Mosaic of South Asian Identifying Students (MOSAIC), and Carleton Minorities in Pre-Health Association (MAPS). She also enjoys learning dances with MOSAIC over the term and sharing them with the broader Carleton community at events. When away from the lab, she enjoys traveling, running, spending time with family/friends, and reading!

Ostap is a Sophomore at Carleton. He was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and plans on majoring in psychology and German. He is curious about speech research and how being a non-native English speaker influences one’s ability to understand audio-visual speech. He is the captain of the Social Dance Club and also a member of the competitive Ballroom Dance Team. He is a peer leader for the International Student Life office and works in the Carleton Theater. In his free time, he enjoys walking in the arb and reading Ukrainian novels.

Emma is a Psychology major and Neuroscience minor from South Florida. She loves social psychology and understanding human perception and connection. In her free time, she cooks (really well), and loves music and yoga.

Hello Hello, My name is Chris Melo and I am a rising junior hailing from the beautiful state of Colorado! I am majoring in Psychology with a potential Neuroscience minor. I love to watch anime, play basketball, and hang out with friends.

Tiffany is a Biology major and potential neuroscience minor on the pre-medicine track from Minneapolis, Minnesota. On campus, she is co-president of the African Carribean Association and a peer leader for the Office of Intercultural Life. For fun, she enjoys cooking a meal, learning to draw something, and going on an adventure.

Annanya Sinha is a Psychology and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies major from Calcutta, India. They are interested in the confluence of psychopharmacology and societal influences that construct human habits. On campus, they work as an ISL peer leader and Behavioral Neuroscience prefect. For fun, they enjoy basking in the sunshine (yes, like a cat), making art, watching horror/sci-fi films, exploring the great outdoors, and petting fluffy dogs.

Amadou is a Computer Science major and Biochemistry minor on the pre-medicine track from Dakar, Sénégal. He speaks English, French, and Wolof. Outside of academics, he enjoys reading, gaming, practicing karate, and playing football (or what some call “soccer”). Being born and having done High School in Houston, TX, he is also a huge fan of the Houston Rockets, and of Liverpool FC in the English Premier League.

Emerald Wang is a senior Psychology major at Carleton College with a passion for clinical psychology and cognitive science. Her research experiences include working closely with patients in hospital settings and conducting research with tamarin monkeys. She is also a bilingual speaker of both Chinese and English. Outside of her academic and research pursuits, Emerald is an active member of the Alpine Ski Club and the Equestrian Club. She enjoys spending time with her Bichon dog, Eleven, and is always seeking new hiking trips.