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 3833

Viki Papadakis

Viki is a fifth-year graduate student who received a double-major in psychology and anthropology from UCSB in 2016. Her research applies a cultural perspective to the examination of cross-group close relationships. Currently, her research is examining the early stages of relationship development in the context of cross-SES and cross-nation dyads. Viki enjoys seeing live jam band performances (especially Phish!), reading memoirs, and spending time with her border collie and tabby cat. 

Lu Zang

Lu Zang received her B.A. in English Literature at Fudan University in Shanghai, China. She joined the UCSB Cultural Psychology Lab in 2021. Her previous research focused on cross-cultural child development, cultural psychology and social decision making, through which she investigated children’s evaluations of indirect prosocial actions, and situational differences in people’s prosocial decisions. She is now interested in examining the cultural differences in friendship maintenance in adulthood and moral judgements in controversial topics. In her free time, she enjoys making handicrafts, going to the seaside, and spending time with close friends.

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.

Juan Gonzalez

Juan Gonzalez received his B.A. in Psychology along with minors in Education and Applied Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. During his time as an undergraduate, Juan worked as a research assistant for the Cultural Psychology Lab. After graduating in 2019, Juan worked as a Research Coordinator in the Collaborative START Lab at the UC Davis MIND Institute on a project examining Autism Spectrum Disorder intervention service delivery in mental health and school settings. In between research projects, Juan managed an STRTP for foster youth in Sacramento assisting with the treatment of various mental disorders. Currently, Juan manages the Cultural Psychology Lab with an emphasis on leading the REACH Newcomers longitudinal study, an international collaboration investigating how emotions can be used as a gateway for the adaptation and inclusion of recently arrived Latino immigrants.