PSY Alumna Spotlight with Kalya Tracey

July 23, 2026 - Shelly DeJong

Kayla Tracey ‘25 graduated with a psychology degree and a cognitive science minor. She now works as a lab manager in the Wellness in Emerging Lives Lab while also conducting two independent research projects. 

Continue reading to learn how Kayla found her place at MSU through the Social Science Scholars Program and the ARISE Lab, what PSY classes were the best, and what advice she has for other students. 

  

How do you use your PSY education today?  

Working full time as the lab manager in Dr. Cowan's Wellness in Emerging Lives Lab. My main responsibilities include coordinating a NARSAD funded study attempting to discern differences in experiences of agency between individuals with schizophrenia spectrum conditions and healthy controls. I am the primary person coordinating recruitment, completing diagnostic assessments for eligibility, and conducting clinical assessments with participants.  

I am also pursuing two independent research projects, one testing how different levels of personality predict well-being similarly and differently in Japan, Denmark, Israel, and the USA, and the other assessing how often stakeholders are involved in producing mental health review papers. I will be presenting the latter project at the Society for Research in Psychopathology conference in October!  

I am currently prepping materials to apply to Clinical Psych PhD programs this fall. 

 

What do you love about psychology?   

I love that psychology offers us many different pathways to explaining differences in individual outcomes regarding psychopathology and general well-being. For example, I find it fascinating that we can try to explain differences in well-being and psychotic symptoms through self-referential processes such as momentary agency (based on physiological mechanisms in the visual and sensory cortexes) as well as differences in narrative identity (a level of personality that helps us integrate past, present, and future events). I really appreciate that psychology can be interdisciplinary and offers a multitude of ways to understand people. 

  

What helped you find your place at MSU?   

The Social Science Scholars Program and the ARISE lab were both integral in my finding my place at MSU. The Social Science Scholars program introduced me to the rigor and importance of empirical research, as well as the need for interdisciplinary work. Additionally, the resources, such as networking with alumni and access to internships, that I was connected with through the Scholars program helped me identify what career options were available within psychology and test what I was most interested in early on. 
 
The ARISE lab, run by Dr. Blair Burnette, was my first experience in Clinical Psychology research. Along with being exposed to the numerous amazing projects in Dr. Burnette's lab, Dr. Burnette oversaw my undergraduate honors thesis which confirmed my love for research and solidified my desire to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Additionally, I had the chance to present my research at UURAF and won a first-place prize. 
 
Additionally, I had the chance to study abroad twice! My first program was a trip across the UK which was a largely interdisciplinary course focusing on history and how sociopolitical power shapes how history is told, and the second was in Granada, Spain focusing on Spanish language learning. These trips highlighted the importance of learning outside of my specific academic interests. I believe they made me a better learner in general and more open to alternative ideas and perspectives. 

 

What were your favorite PSY classes and why?   

PSY 444 was my favorite class because of the in-depth examination of adolescents and really capturing the transition from childhood into adolescents and how puberty can play a role in youth mental health. I loved PSY 493, Neuroscience of Human and Animal Emotions. This class was a wonderful introduction to reading empirical articles, specifically fMRI and EEG studies. Furthermore, I greatly improved my writing skills in this class whilst writing my final paper about dopamine receptors in the amygdala and their relationship to anxiety. 

  

Looking back at your time at MSU, what did you learn?  

At MSU I learned how to develop research questions, thoroughly evaluate the current literature relating to those questions, utilize methods to test such questions empirically, and how to disseminate research findings effectively. 

  

Would you like to give a shout out to anyone that's helped you in your journey?   

Dr. John Waller was an incredible support from my first day on campus to today. Additionally, Drs. Maria Lapinski, Blair Burnette, and Henry (Raffles) Cowan have been wonderful research mentors throughout my time at MSU! 

 

What advice do you have for first-year students who are just starting their MSU journey?  

Try everything! MSU is filled with impressive organizations, faculty, and students. Do not limit yourself right away, say yes to opportunities, step out of your comfort zone, and follow your interests as they develop!