Our Team

*The lab is not accepting new members for the 2023-24 school year*

Lab Director

Dr. Milla Titova

Dr. Milla Titova received a B.A. in Psychology from Hiram College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Social/Personality Psychology from the University of Missouri. Currently, she is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Washington and Director of the Happiness and Well-Being Lab. Dr. Titova’s research interests concentrate on happiness and well-being, specifically, how cultural and personality differences affect people’s well-being levels, as well as the experience of happiness and positive emotions. She is also investigating how people’s relationships with the places and spaces that they occupy connect to happiness and well-being.

Undergraduate Research Students

Sharise Love

Sharise is a graduate of University of Washington with a B.A. in psychology. Though interested in a variety of topics, Sharise gravitates more towards social issues and behavior. She is currently focused on looking at the role of social media and pro-social behaviors in well-being. When she's not studying, she loves reading, photography, and playing with her feline bestie; Stormy.

Lancy Ren

Lancy, who studied psychology B.A., is currently enrolled in M.S. Human-Centered Design and Engineering at UW. Drawing on her foundation in social science research, she has smoothly shifted into the realms of user experience (UX) research and design. She finds joy in designing fun and interactive artifacts in both digital and physical world. Outside of class, you may catch Lancy running, cycling, hiking, playing Mario Kart, playing piano, swing dancing, exploring maps, and passionately talking about terrain details of Washington.

Felicia Du

Felicia is a senior pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and ECFS at the University of Washington. She is devoted to improving happiness and well-being for others and herself. She is interested in positive psychology, social and personality, especially in well-being, motivation, and psychological traits in behaviors. She plans on pursuing a P.h.D. in human development. In her free time, Felicia enjoys nature by hiking, ice skating, and climbing trees. She also loves writing fairy tales and painting fantastic beasts.

Sonia Duan

Sonia(she/her) is a senior pursuing a B.A in Psychology and intending to pursue a B.A in Economics at the University of Washington. She is really interested in different cultures and how it may affect people’s cognitions about happiness and well-being. In her free time, Sonia enjoys musicals and drama plays a lot, and is also learning how to become an excellent photographer!

Arina Stoianova

Arina is a graduate of University of Washington with a B.A. in Psychology. She is interested in pursing research, specifically in Social/Personality Psychology. Though intrigued by many aspects of Social Psychology, Arina is currently looking at how culture shapes autonomy and well-being in first-generation college students. Outside of the lab, you will most likely find Arina eating yummy food with her friends and taking film pictures on her Minolta!

Prisha Patel

Prisha is a sophomore pursuing a B.A. in Psychology at the University of Washington. She is very interested in how to "hack" our brains and use different phenomena to improve our daily lives. She loves learning about cognitive science and positive psychology and is always interested to learn more about the different factors that play a role in our overall happiness. In her free time, Prisha also loves to paint, animate, dance, and spend time with her family!

Emma Ottosen

Emma (she/her) is a senior earning her B.S. in Psychology at the University of Washington, alongside completing Interdisciplinary Honors and minors in data science and dance. Her research and areas of interest primarily focus on developmental and social psychology, with an emphasis on children and the LGBTQ community Outside the classroom or lab, Emma is a sports photojournalist and can be found covering both UW and other professional teams on the field.

Lab Mascot

Crouton

Crouton is the lab's mascot. He is a big fan of walks and naps.

Former / Graduated lab members

Maya Oledzka

Jill Chrise

Bella Reynolds

Jenna Sudol

Maddie Wilkerson

Amanda Bossert

Rachel Gardner

Liza Margules