Introducing New Graduate Student Lindsay Ackerman

August 7, 2023 - Shelly DeJong

Lindsay sits on a ledge in front of red flowers. She wears a dark shirt and jeans.Name: Lindsay Ackerman (she/her/hers)

Hometown: Grand Blanc, MI

Undergrad: University of Michigan – Flint (Bachelor of Business Administration; 2013) and MSU (Bachelor of Science in Psychology, 2018)

 

Tell us about your background/experience! 

I have spent many “gap” years exploring various facets of research. I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with wonderful mentors over these years who have helped me gain experience in research and really solidified my desire to pursue graduate study. I’ve worked on a few different projects with Dr. Bill Chopik here at MSU related to social/personality psychology, including posters and publications investigating bias, culture, and personality. I’ve also worked in various positions within Dr. Kelly Klump’s lab over the last 5 years, where I have received ample experience with the “behind-the-scenes” of conducting research and running a lab.

Why grad school? 

The constant pursuit of knowledge – I am a lifelong learner! I hope to teach one day and develop my own research program – grad school is a key part of achieving that.

What do you hope to research while you're here? 

Broadly, well-being. More specifically, I am really interested in the idea of self-worth and I hope to explore that further – including in how it relates to well-being, how it is established, whether it is protective against the harmful effects of certain societal issues such as bias and discrimination, and how it might differ across cultures. That should take up 5 years, I think. 😊

What do you love about Social/Personality psychology? 

The research coming out of social/personality psychology is not only fascinating, but always feels so relatable and relevant to me, and has real-world implications on how we live our lives.

In your free time, what do you like to do? 

I love to bake! My kick right now is anything with puff pastry (and yes, I love the Great British Bake Off). I also like to learn new languages, travel when I can, and watch a good show/movie when the kiddos go to bed (I’m particularly fond of all things Marvel).