Meet the incoming social/personality graduate students
August 3, 2026 - Shelly DeJong
A warm welcome to the new graduate students who are joining the Department of Psychology at MSU this fall. Brooke Cote and Austin Zeng will be joining the social/personality research area. Get to know them a bit below!
Name: Brooke Cote (she/her)
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Education: B.S. Science Research Fellows & Statistics, Baylor University, 2026
Why grad school? Over the years, I've discovered just how much I enjoy studying. Learning is never over! There are so many things to question and be in awe about in this world. Grad school provides the perfect opportunity to satisfy this enjoyment while also making an impact in society.
What do you hope to study when you’re here? As part of MSU's social/personality department, I am interested in researching the facets of the Big 5 traits and subjective well-being. By incorporating genomic data, I hope to understand the biological basis of these behavioral tendencies. One of the most interesting aspects of personality is sensation seeking, and I plan to research this in conjunction with ADHD. Research often doesn’t look at the specific trait facets or sensation seeking, but I think both aspects can contribute to our understanding of individual differences and an individual’s sense of well-being in important ways.
In your free time, what do you like to do? Anything involving quality conversation with another individual! I tend to accomplish this by throwing afternoon tea parties (complete with beautiful china). I also enjoy continuing my language journey with Japanese music and dramas. When I'm not studying, listening to sermons, or reading books, I frequently enjoy a creative outlet, usually in the form of singing, dancing, or making music videos.
Name: Austin Zeng (he/him)
Hometown: China
Background: I received my B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara. After graduating, I worked with Dr. Teri Kirby and Dr. Thekla Morgenroth as a lab manager at Purdue University.
Why grad school? I wanted to pursue graduate school because I am fascinated by research and hope to answer questions about how people form and apply their moral beliefs.
What do you hope to research while you're here? I hope to study how people develop their moral values and how different people interpret the same moral principles, such as fairness. I am especially interested in why people who endorse the same broad moral value may apply it differently across situations, groups, or domains. To me, this is important because moral judgment shapes how people evaluate others, respond to social issues, and decide what is fair or unfair.
In your free time, what do you like to do? In my free time, I enjoy watching movies and TV shows. I also love exploring new restaurants and trying different cuisines.