The Research Team
Dr. Daniel Chadborn
Assistant Professor of Psychology, New Mexico Highlands University
Dr. Chadborn completed his undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of New Orleans, his masters in psychology at Southeastern Louisiana University, and his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University - Commerce. His background of study ranges from evolutionary and social psychology to his research with fan communities, especially in the motivating factors of fan engagement, fandom and fanship, and how social identity corresponds to a variety of topics like inspiration, the engagement in prosocial behavior, and responses to identity threat.
Dr. Courtney "Nuka" Plante
Associate Professor of Psychology, Bishop's University
Courtney "Nuka" Plante is a graduate of the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. He attained his B.Sc (Honors) from the University of Alberta in 2008, his Master's of Arts from the University of Waterloo in 2011, and his PhD in Psychology from the University of Waterloo in 2014. His non-fandom research includes work on video games and aggression and the use of fantasy identities (role-playing games, video games, novels) as a means of protecting self-esteem against threats.
Professor of Psychology, Texas A&M University - Commerce
Dr. Reysen completed his undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, his masters in psychology at California State University, Fresno, and his Ph.D. in social psychology at the University of Kansas. He conducts research concerning personal and social identities. A personal identity is what distinguishes one person from another. A social identity is a group identity that distinguishes one group from another. Using social psychological research methods, Dr. Reysen examines fans’ personal and social identity and how fan identification affects everyday life.
Dr. Patrick Edwards
Dr. Edwards is the founder of the Brony Study Project. He has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia and has been teaching graduate and undergraduate psychology for over 30 years. His general research interests include health psychology, patients’ responses to therapy, and factors influencing the development and expression of brony fan identity. In addition to teaching, he has worked in both private practice and in psychiatric hospitals as a clinician. While he would not officially call himself a Brony (to stay unbiased), he is a self-proclaimed “Brony Booster” and an avid supporter of the community. Currently, he has also published a fantasy novel (soon to be series of books) about a group of individuals who come together due to their shared brony interests, in no small part influenced by his work with the brony community.
Dr. Marsha Howze Redden
Dr. Redden earned her Ph.D. in Physiological Psychology in 1973 with a clinical and neuropsychological internship and fellowship at the VA Hospital, Tulane and LSU Medical Schools and soon after began an independent clinical private practice in a small community in South Louisiana. Before retirement she spent her time working general practice, helping clients of all ages with a variety of issues. She retired in 2008 after 31 years and had, from that point on, served as an adjunct professor at a small liberal arts college, where she taught classes on research methods. Today, she still maintains a small private practice and license in South Carolina and engages in volunteer work. Along with Dr. Edwards, she represents the clinical expertise on the team.
Dr. Jan Griffin
Professor of Psychology, University of South Carolina Upstate
Dr. Griffin has a Ph.D. in Psychology with specialties in personality psychology, social psychology, and statistics. She has been teaching and doing research since 1980 after receiving her Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University. Her research interests include stereotyping, social stigma, and social influence. She is currently a Professor at the University of South Carolina Upstate, where she teaches a variety of classes and works with students on a variety of research projects. Her statistical expertise and insight was crucial early on in helping to make sense of the study’s larger data sets and performed the more advanced statistical analysis presented both at BronyCon for the fans and professionally at a number of conferences. Her additional work has involved recruiting and supervising a number of undergraduate research assistants over the course of studing the fandom.