Heejung Kim

Heejung Kim is interested in the cultural influences on psychological processes. In particular, her research examines 1) cultural differences in the perception and the effect of self-expression, 2) cultural differences in the use of social support, and 3) how social and cultural factors influence decision making. In so doing, she addresses the implications of these culturally specific cognitive, affective and behavioral tendencies for health, educational, and environmental outcomes.

E-mail: heejung.kim@psych.ucsb.edu

Office: Psychology East, Room 3813

Lu Zang

Lu Zang received her B.A. in English Literature from Fudan University in 2021 and her M.A. in Psychological and Brain Sciences from UCSB in 2024. She joined the UCSB Cultural Psychology Lab in 2021. Overall, her research examines how culture shapes people’s understanding of rights and responsibilities. In one line of work, she investigates cultural differences in the social clock and the emotional and interpersonal consequences of deviations from it. She is also interested in cross-cultural child development. In her free time, she enjoys seaside walks, making handicrafts, and spending time with her dog.

Hayley Giffin

Hayley received her B.A. in Psychology and Economics from Claremont McKenna College in 2020. Before starting at UCSB, she worked for two years as an applied researcher at Cisco. Her primary research interest is the impact of culture on social relationships and decision making, especially between individuals with different cultural identities. She is also interested in sustainability, well-being, and group dynamics. Outside of the lab, Hayley enjoys hiking, yoga, cooking, and coffee.

Guillem Fernández Villà

Guillem is a first-year graduate student in the UCSB Cultural Psychology Lab. He received his B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Barcelona in 2018. In 2020, he completed an M.Sc. in Cultural Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. He then worked as a Junior Researcher at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement. He is broadly interested in how acculturation processes occur at societal and individual levels, and how they can be facilitated in a way that supports people's wellbeing. Guillem loves exercising, playing and watching basketball games, reading, and improvising in the kitchen.