Tran Ethnic & Minority Psychology & Experiences Lab

Research Team

Current Students

Alejandra Sandoval

Alejandra (she/her/ella) is a first-generation, fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Counseling Psychology program at Arizona State University (ASU). She received her B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from Swarthmore College and her Master of Counseling degree from ASU. Broadly, her research interests include how wellness, sports, and academia can become an inclusive space of Latinx youth and young adults as a way to address health disparities. She is also interested in child neuropsychology and social determinants of health in bilingual populations. Besides school work, Alejandra enjoys visiting zoos, hiking (when Arizona weather allows for it), and spending time with her loved ones.

Brittany Doss

Brittany (she/her/hers) is a first year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at ASU. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Fayetteville State University in North Carolina in 2020. Broadly, her research interests include minority mental health, with emphases on African Americans and athletes. In the future, Brittany would like to be submersed in working with underserved communities and approaching research, teaching, and practice, with a perspective/goal of multicultural competence and positive psychology. In her free time, she enjoys being active, spending time with loved ones, and trying new vegan dishes. A tip for joining the lab would be to reach out early on and stay connected moving forward.

Justine Jagga

Justine is currently a first-year Ph.D. student in the Counseling Psychology program here at ASU. She earned her BA in Psychology at Marshall University, West Virginia, and completed her MA in Sport and Exercise Psychology and MS in Mental Health Counseling at Minnesota State University. Justine's past research has focused on trait vs. state anxiety for competitive swimmers in practice and competition and more recently, she completed a qualitative study that explored parents’ psychological needs that are met through having a child involved in sports. Her research foci surrounds mental health amongst athletes, specifically related to emotional trauma experienced within the sport context. Beyond schoolwork, Justine really enjoys doing yoga, hiking, and spending time with friends. Her advice for those wanting to join the lab is as follows: "be authentic, trust yourself, and celebrate the small wins. This is the time and place in our careers to make mistakes, ask questions, and continue to grow."

Page Freeman

Page (she/her/hers) is a second-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at ASU. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behavior and a master’s degree in Sports Analytics from the University of Notre Dame. There, she was also a member and a 3-time captain of the women’s tennis team. Her research interests include examining athlete mental health and resilience, specifically in coach-athlete relationships and the transition out of sport careers. She is very passionate about supporting athlete mental health and intends to become a licensed sports psychologist. Outside of school, Page enjoys staying active (hiking, tennis, and yoga), exploring new food spots in the Phoenix area, and spending time with family and friends.

Ashley Larson

Ashley (she/her/hers) is a second-year Master of Counseling student at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in Sport and Performance Psychology from Grand Canyon University in 2024 and a graduate certificate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from ASU in 2025. Her research interests include positive psychology, gender, athlete performance, and social justice. She hopes to someday pursue her Ph.D., specialize in sport psychology, and become a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (after a few more years of school, of course). Outside the classroom, Ashley enjoys cheering on the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Mercury, Denver Summit, Real Madrid, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Additionally, she loves spending time with her two sisters, exploring Phoenix coffee shops with her best friends, and playing soccer.

Nolan Billeter

Nolan (he/him/his) is a second-year master's student in the Counseling program at ASU. He earned his bachelor's degree in Psychological Sciences from Northern Arizona University, where he contributed to and analyzed data across three separate research projects, including the analysis of self-regulatory thoughts of elite distance runners. His research interests include athlete mental health and performance, athlete socialization and identity development, and disparities in access to mental health care. Nolan hopes to graduate, become a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, and work in athlete mental health, either in private practice or in a college athletic department. In his personal life, Nolan enjoys coaching a high school soccer team, exercising/training, and spending time with his friends and family.

Yifei Wang

Yifei (she/her/hers) is currently a registered psychotherapist in Toronto. She earned her bachelor's degree in Cognitive Systems from the University of British Columbia in 2021 and her master's degree in Global Mental Health and Counseling Psychology from the University of Toronto in 2024. Her research interests include culturally responsive interventions, counseling for women of color, minority stress, and emerging adult identity. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and become a licensed psychologist in the future, with the goal of expanding mental health support for marginalized communities. During her free time, she enjoys making pottery, watching F1 (big Red Bull fan), swimming, and staying connected with friends and family.

Leya Harvey

Leya (she/her/hers) is a second-year Master of Counseling student at Arizona State University. She is a former Division I basketball player and has experience as a high school and collegiate basketball coach. Her research interests include trauma, attachment, interpersonal relationships, and culturally responsive mental health care. Drawing on her athletic and coaching background, she is also interested in exploring athlete mental health. She hopes to become a Licensed Professional Counselor and eventually open a private practice supporting young adults and adults as they navigate trauma, relationships, and identity development. Outside of school and work, Leya enjoys playing basketball, cycling, spending time with friends and family, and finding new ways to make high-protein ice cream that actually tastes good...a challenging task!

DeQuan Robinson
(Inaugural Veteran Students Research Fellow)

My name is DeQuan Robinson, and I am a retired Navy Third Class Machinist’s Mate and a full-time ASU Online student majoring in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science (Sport and Performance Counseling), BS. I chose this field because, as an athlete, I experienced having skills and potential that I did not always know how to communicate or fully showcase to my coaches. Throughout my journey in sports and athletics, I also found that staying connected to sports helped me maintain a positive mindset and good spirits, particularly during long and demanding periods of work. My goal is to better understand the psychological factors that influence athletes and individuals in high-pressure environments while developing the skills to support their performance and well-being. Through the Veterans at Play research fellowship, I hope to strengthen my understanding of research methods and data collection while helping build a meaningful connection between athletics, sports, and the Veteran community.

Ricky Lopez
(Inaugural Veteran Students Research Fellow)

My name is Ricky Lopez. I am 31 years old, have a wife and a three-year-old son who has very high energy! My background is Mexican American, with both my parents being born in Mexico. We recently moved to Arkansas from Virginia and have been enjoying the greenery here. I am currently pursuing my degree in counseling and psychology in sports performance, I love all sports and the mental aspect of competing and wanting to perform in sports activities I try my best to be active, Love going on early runs to watch the sunrise and also love the aesthetics of old gyms they remind me of rocky movies and gives me a sense of my own montage training scenes in my own head.

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