Principal Investigator

Kimberly Fenn

Curriculum Vitae

Lab Manager

Patrick O'Neil

Patrick graduated from Michigan State University in May of 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. He is currently applying to clinical psychology PhD schools and hopes to enter graduate school in the fall of 2012. His research interests are clinical in nature, ranging from mood disorders to sleep disorders. In his spare time, he enjoys tennis, hockey, and golf.

Project Manager

Paula Papay

Paula graduated from the University of Michigan in May of 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Brain, Behavior and Cognitive Science and History. She is currently working on a project that investigates the effect of emotional valence and arousal on false memory. Her research interests include the effects of emotion on memory and the factors that influence memory loss and degradation. Ultimately, she plans to attend graduate school to obtain a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, running and traveling.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Stephen Buskirk

Stephen is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a specialization in cognitive science and is very interested in research that deals with connections in the brain and how these connections affect behavior. Stephen plans to go to graduate school for clinical Psychology. Outside of school, he enjoys reading philosophy and watching movies (and believes that netflix is the greatest invention of man).

Taylor Dehnke

Taylor is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Spanish minor. She joined the lab in the fall of 2012 and has a broad interest in Psychology. After graduating in the spring of 2014, she intends on continuing her education in graduate school. In her free time Taylor enjoys photography, going to movies, and hanging out with her family on the lake up north. During the school year she participates in weekly service projects as a member of MSU’s chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity.

Cory Fleck

Cory is pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology with a second major in Political Science. Upon graduation in 2016, he plans on continuing his studies in graduate school in order to pursue his goal of conducting his own research. In his free time, he enjoys sports, video games, and politics.

Spencer Gregerson

Spencer is an undergraduate student expecting to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology, as well as an additional major in psychology, by the fall of 2013. After graduating, Spencer plans on attending medical school in his pursuit of becoming a Neuroradiologist. He is most interested in studying the neural underpinnings of human social behavior and psychological disorders.

Nicholas Griffin

Nick is an undergraduate from Brighton, Michgan who joined the lab in Fall 2011. He plans to graduate in Spring 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a specialization in Cognitive Science. He plans to continue on to graduate school to earn a PhD in developmental psychology. Nick also works part time and is a brother in Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.

Rudra Joshi

Rudra is an undergraduate from Farmington, MI who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology. He is working to complete his degree, along with a minor in Economics, in 3 years. In his spare time, Rudra enjoys watching TV, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and playing with his German Shepherd. After graduating, Rudra plans to attend medical school.

Reed Luchies

Reed is an undergraduate student from Fremont, Michigan who is pursuing a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology and expects to graduate in Spring 2014. In his spare time, Reed enjoys attending many MSU sporting events, hanging out with friends, and playing on Intramural Sports teams. After graduating, he plans on attending graduate school and obtaining a degree in School Psychology.

Megan O'Donovan

Megan is an undergraduate student majoring in Genomics & Molecular Genetics through Lyman Briggs College with a second major in Psychology. She is curious about the role that genes play in psychological disorders. She plans to attend graduate school after graduating from MSU in the spring of 2016. In her spare time, she enjoys running, playing her guitar, and relaxing in front of the TV.

Dean Overmyer

Dean is an undergraduate student from Grand Rapids, Michigan specializing in Bioethics, humanities, and society. Dean joined the lab in the fall of 2012 and plans on completing his Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2013. Currently, he plans on pursuing a Masters in Human Resources and Labor Relations. When Dean is not in the lab, he spends his time working part-time on campus, staying fit by playing racquetball and other sports, or hanging out with friends.

Kathleen Owen

Katie is an undergraduate student who joined the lab in 2010. She is planning on graduating with a major in Japanese and a minor in Chinese in 2014. She plans on getting a job in localizing video games from Japan after graduation. She is from Sugar Land, Texas, which is about 45 minutes outside Houston, and her interests include music, languages, and mythology.

Soham Parikh

Soham is an undergraduate student majoring in Human Biology. He will graduate in 2014. He is a member of the MSU ROTC program and also a member of the Michigan State Rugby team. After he graduates he plans on becoming a trauma surgeon in the United States Army.

Samantha Poland

Samii is an undergraduate student from Washington, Illinois, who joined the lab in the Fall of 2010. She is double-majoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice, planning to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in the Spring of 2014. She hopes to continue her education in graduate school after graduating from MSU. In her free time, Samii enjoys writing, drawing, photography, music, and reading.

Leah Panourgias

Leah is an undergraduate Psychology major from Troy, MI specializing in Cognitive Science. Leah joined the lab in the spring 2012 and plans to complete her Bachelor of Science degree in 2013. Eventually, she wants to go to graduate school and study Public Health and Epidemiology. When Leah's not working in the lab, she spends her time practicing with the Spartan Marching Band, watching movies, and hanging out with friends.

Katie Sadler

JKatie is an undergraduate student from Grand Rapids, Michigan, majoring in Business and pursing a minor in Spanish. She joined the lab in fall of 2012 and will graduate in the spring of 2016. Katie plans to continue on to graduate school for a specialization in Marketing and Consumer Behavior. In her free time, Katie enjoys reading, watching movies, and Spartan football.

John Schwartz

John is a Pre-Med student pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. He is a member of the ROTC program and one of the founding fathers of Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity at Michigan State University. John will commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army upon graduating in the Spring of 2013. He plans on furthering his education by attending graduate school in the Fall of 2014. In his free time, John can be found kayaking, hiking, attending classic rock/jazz concerts, and playing various gigs as a Latin Percussionist.

David Smith

David is an undergraduate psychology major from Byron Center, Michigan. He plans to specialize in cognitive psychology and continue his education and obtain his PhD, after he graduates from MSU in 2015. David joined the lab in 2011 and in his free time he likes to play video games, play with his dogs, and learn.

Matt Waldrop

Matt is an undergraduate from Novi, MI who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology. He is working to complete his degree, along with a specialization in Health Promotion and Bioethics and a second specialization in Humanities and Society. In his spare time, Matt enjoys reading, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and golfing on the weekends. After graduating, Matt plans to attend medical school.

Lab Alumni

Nate Anderson

Nate graduated in the spring of 2012 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology and Human Biology and plans to attend graduate school in either linguistics or cognitive neuroscience.

Hannah Borland

Hannah was a member of the Sleep and Learning Lab from fall 2010 to spring 2012. She is now concentrating on research in her major, Nutritional Sciences.

Allison Conner

Allison was a member of the Sleep and Learning Lab from 2011 to 2012. She then decided to continue her education in her native state, California.

Ryan Duffy

Ryan graduated in the spring of 2012 with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Mathematics. He plans on teaching mathematics and later pursuing a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology. Ryan will be forever famous at MSU for founding the Michigan State Quidditch club, an organization dedicated to playing the sport introduced in the Harry Potter novels.

Rachel Hanke

Rachel graduated in the spring of 2012 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology and Human Biology. She will begin medical school at Oakland University in the fall of 2012.

Elyse Horak

Elyse was a member of the Sleep and Learning Lab from fall 2010 to spring 2012. She is now concentrating on her education degree.

Anthony Lai

Anthony worked in the Sleep and Learning Lab 2010-2012. He plans on attending medical school and becoming a neurosurgeon.

Matt Lewandowski

Matt graduated in the spring of 2012 with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. He plans on pursuing graduate work in Industrial/Organizational psychology in the future.

Holly Lewis

After only 3 years at MSU, Holly graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology in spring 2012. She is currently working in a clinical sleep lab and plans on pursuing graduate work in Clinical Psychology.

Chris Magas

Chris graduated with a Bachelors in Science in Psychology in the spring of 2012. He will begin graduate work in the fall of 2012 and plans on attending medical school in the future.

Ben Mayne

Ben worked in the Sleep and Learning Lab in 2011-2012 and plans on pursuing graduate work in Clinical Psychology or Cognitive Neuroscience.

Kimberly Tweedale

Kimberly graduated with degrees in professional writing and psychology in the spring of 2012. She will begin graduate work in Critical Studies in Literacy and Pedagogy at MSU in the fall of 2012.

Jennifer Kott

Jenn graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology in the fall of 2011 and will begin graduate work in neuroscience in the fall of 2012.

Kevin Holmes

Kevin graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology in the spring of 2011.

Danielle Campbell

Danielle graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 2010.

Jessica Barnese

Jessica graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 2010.

Katie Chisholm

Katie graduated with a major in Psychology and interdisciplinary minors in Bioethics and Women, Gender and Social Justice, in the spring of 2010.

Sam Lopez

Sam graduated with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Psychology in the spring of 2010.

Zachary Everett

Zach graduated with Bachelors of Science Degree in Psychology in the spring of 2009.