People
Lindsay Hahn, Principal Investigator
Dr. Hahn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Center for Cognitive Science at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. She holds a PhD in Communication and Cognitive Science from Michigan State University. Prior to her current position, Dr. Hahn was a postdoctoral research scholar in the Games and Virtual Environments Lab at the University of Georgia.
Melinda Aley, PhD
Melinda Aley (PhD, Michigan State University) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Montana State University at Billings. Her research focuses on the ability of media content to act as a socializing agent for children. Her current projects include examining how moral messages in media content can influence the behaviors of children, media depictions of gender stereotypes, and media’s influence on young adults’ career choices.
Kaitlin Fitzgerald, PhD
Kaitlin Fitzgerald earned her Ph.D. at the University at Buffalo, SUNY in 2021. Her research examines the cognitive and emotional processes involved in narrative influence and engagement, especially within the context of entertainment media. She has a particular focus on how certain narrative experiences can foster long-term, prosocial outcomes such as empathy and helping, moral sensitivity, and well-being.
Kevin Kryston, PhD
Kevin Kryston (Ph.D., Michigan State University) is an Assistant Professor at Sam Houston State University. His research focuses on entertainment media psychology, with a specific focus on social influences on audiences’ selection and enjoyment of various forms of entertainment. His work employs behavioral, psychophysiological, and self-report measures to determine the mechanisms underlying audience response.
Tahleen Lattimer, PhD Student
Tahleen A. Lattimer is a Ph.D. candidate at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. Her research explores the relationship between health and media as it relates to minority populations with a specific focus on how media can be harnessed to educate audiences and promote social change. Her recent projects explore how narrative engagement in popular media can shape attitudes toward those with disabilities and subsequent health-related issues.
Stephanie Lyons Gillis, PhD Student
Stephanie is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication at the University at Buffalo. Her research focuses on women’s health and stigma in communication and media contexts.
Emily Lapan, MA Student
Emily Lapan is an MA student at the University at Buffalo. Her research focuses on media effects and their intersection with health and political communication. Her current work explores online discourse around Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as extremism discourse around gender and irony on platforms such as Reddit.
Madeline Taggart, MA Student
Madeline Taggart is an MA student at the University at Buffalo. Her research examines the effects of entertainment media on its consumers. Her recent work includes exploring how content posted by political social media accounts can affect user engagement, as well as how content of entertainment media can affect viewer behaviors.
Grace George, BA Student
Grace George is a Psychology major and Studio Art minor at the University at Buffalo. She has a passion for learning about human behavior, and loves studying the way people are affected by the ever-increasing presence of media in our lives.
Eli Zak, BA Student
Eli is a freshman at the University at Buffalo studying Psychology.
Irina andreeva, phd student
Dan KuLESZA, MA Student
Dan Kulesza is an MA student at the University at Buffalo. His research explores relationships among morality, empathy, and communication.
Isabella Gray, BA Student
Isabella Gray is a BA student at the University at Buffalo studying psychology and counseling.
Lizbeth Gomez Loyola, BA Student
Lizbeth Gomez Loyola is a junior at the University at Buffalo studying communication and minoring in strategic media studies.
Samiul Hasan, BA Student
Samiul Hasan is a senior at the University at Buffalo studying sociology.