Meet the incoming Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience graduate students
August 5, 2025 - Shelly DeJong
A warm welcome to the new graduate students who are joining the Department of Psychology at MSU this month. Joanna James, Celeste Uhl, Jordan McDonald, and Jordanelle Caldwell will be joining the Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience research area. Get to know them a bit below!
Name: Celeste Uhl (she/her)
Hometown: Akron, Ohio
Background: I got an B.A. In psychology from Bowling Green State University in 2024. Then I moved up to East Lansing to volunteer with the TAP Lab to gain more experience with research and neuroscience in the fall of 2024. I've gotten the opportunity to work with the TMS machine we have at the school, furthering my neuroscience background and plan to use it for research throughout grad school.
Why grad school? It was never the plan to go to grad school but during undergrad, I fell in love with the intersection of neuroscience and psychology. While completing my honors project, I discovered how much I loved asking questions and looking for answers. My background as a musician led me to the TAP Lab and this past year, I've furthered my love and interest in cognitive psychology and decided to continue my research in grad school.
What do you hope to research while you're here? While building on the research the TAP lab has explored like speech in noisy environments and stuttering projects, I also plan to explore new directions. Currently, I'm planning a project exploring musical groove and soon hope to conduct research on creativity in musicians.
In your free time, what do you like to do? I love reading all genres and spending time outside with my cat!
Name: Joanna James
Hometown: Orland Park, IL
Background: I earned my BA in Psychology in 2025 from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN. I was also a research assistant in the Memory Lab at the University of Notre Dame.
Why grad school? I chose grad school because I want to further my education and research skills. I have a passion for research, and I hope to contribute and advance the field of psychology.
What do you hope to study here? At MSU, I hope to study sleep and memory. Specifically, memory for eyewitness testimonies, the impact of sleep on memory, false memories, and the impact of deception on memory. This interests me because this topic applies to everyone, so all can benefit from this area of research.
In your free time, what do you like to do? In my free time I enjoy golfing, long walks, embroidery, and reading classic novels!
Name: Jordan McDonald (she/her)
Hometown: Easley, South Carolina
Background: Bachelor of Science in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina Upstate
Why grad school? During my undergraduate career, I was only able to peek into the world of cognitive neuroscience, but it continuously left me wanting more. My passion for academia has also led me to experiences such as being a teacher’s assistant and tutor for psychological statistics. These opportunities have led me to want to become a psychology professor and manage a cognitive neuroscience lab of my own. I want to make my mark on both the area of cognitive neuroscience, as well as future students entering this field.
What do you hope to research while you're here? The research opportunities at Michigan State will allow me to explore memory processes to a degree I could not during my undergraduate career. My experience with creating paradigms that can assess working memory and my foundational knowledge in cognitive psychology, learning and memory, and cognitive neuroscience have inspired an interest in memory processes. Being in this program will provide me with the unique opportunity to strengthen my skills and ability to become a professor and be able to manage a memory lab of my own.
In your free time, what do you like to do? In my free time, I enjoy reading. I spend a lot of time with my friends, which now includes a lot of video games and streamed movies across our long distance! I've also been having fun exploring Michigan and engaging in new hobbies with my roommate.
Name: Jordanelle Caldwell (she/her)
Hometown: Heber City, Utah
Background: B.A. in Psychology and French with a minor in Theater Arts graduated Summa Cum Laude with Honors from Southern Utah University. I was most recently an Assistant Manager at Domino's and a TA for Intro to Film and Theater classes.
Why grad school? I chose to go to grad school because it was a natural next step in my education in psychology and is important for my future career goals. I hope to work in research, which most often requires a PhD, and I have a strong passion for learning and education. I wanted to further my education and become the first person in my family to not only obtain a bachelor's degree but also a PhD. I am passionate about understanding how the brain works, how its function relates to aging, and how things in the brain can go wrong. My interest in working with memory, memory retrieval, and memory in aging is what drew me to look into graduate programs to learn more about this field of interest. I am passionate about culturally, ethically, and diversity-focused research, and knew that the perfect opportunity to participate in this research was by applying to graduate schools.
What do you hope to research while you're here? While I am at MSU, I hope to participate in a variety of research, expanding my knowledge and interests in psychology. Specifically, I am hoping to research memory, perception, neuroimaging, and computational modeling, focusing on memory, memory retrieval, and memory in aging. I also hope to be able to do some research with the military or the Veterans Association. I have a strong interest in learning more about how memory works and why it deteriorates, especially regarding Alzheimer's Disease. I also have a strong interest in military research and the possibility of civilian contracting in research when I complete grad school.
In your free time, what do you like to do? In my free time, I love to hike, ski, and camp; I love outdoor recreation. I also love to participate in theater as an actor or behind the scenes. I am an avid reader and love to write creative short stories and poetry. It is also important for me to engage with my community in the form of service, and I love to volunteer. I recently completed a service term with Americorps and would love the opportunity to do something with the Peace Corps someday.