Graduate Student Lab Members

Taylor Leonard

Office: womp womp

Research Interests: Broadly, my research interests center around memory and decision-making and how they change across middle-age and older adulthood. Currently, I am working on my dissertation involving middle-aged adults’ financial decision-making and retirement planning. Specifically, I am interested in whether people’s preparedness for retirement affects their competence in financial decision-making and their willingness to engage in financial risk-taking. As a result, what does this look like for people’s financial well-being? 

Personal Interests: In my free time, I enjoy creative writing, reading, film photography, and watching (too much) Formula 1

Jennifer Fredette

Office: Poe Hall 604

Research Interests: I am broadly interested in emotional and cognitive processes that occur prior to death. My current research focus is on anticipatory grief experienced by people who know a close friend or relative is going to die. I’m hoping to eventually expand this to anticipatory grief felt towards a person’s own death. I’m also interested in body disposition choices and how they relate to conception of death.

Personal Interests: Reading, singing, martial arts, and playing with my dog.

Ashley Hettman          

Office: Lampe 336

Research Interests: Overall, I study how the environment influences psychological processes in later life. My work examines how social and physical contexts shape well-being in older adulthood. I am currently interested in the role of greenspaces (broadly defined) in supporting caregiving, how access to transportation influences the benefits of volunteering, and how nature can be used to maintain well-being among dementia patients in care facilities. 

Personal Interests: I enjoy practicing yoga, taking walks in nature, and spending time with family and friends!