This year, PBS graduate student Connor Gibbs and PBS undergraduate Alexander Landry were awarded the prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation. This fellowship funds 3 years of their graduate studies, and serves as recognition of their potential to be leaders in their fields. PBS graduate student, Daniel Thayer, received an honorable mention.

Connor Gibbs, who earned his B.A. with Honors in Psychology at Westmont College, is a second year PhD student in the social psychology area, working with advisor David Sherman. He describes his research interests: “My research broadly addresses how we respond to various forms of threat and interventions to mitigate the negative effects of those threats. The program of research I will be developing as part of my NSF work includes investigating methods to improve military veterans’ transitions to civilian life and employment.” 

Alex Landry earned an undergraduate degree from UCSB in Psychological & Brain Sciences in June 2020. He worked with Professors Jonathan Schooler and Brenda Major. Alex will begin a Ph.D. program in organizational behavior this fall, where he will study processes of intergroup conflict. 

Daniel Thayer, who earned his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Iowa, is a second year PhD student in the Cognition, Perception, and Cognitive Neuroscience area, working with advisor Tommy Sprague. His research focuses on the neural mechanisms of attention, working memory, and their interaction. 

Congratulations Connor, Alex, and Daniel!