About

I’m a 4th year Social Psychology Ph.D. Candidate at Duke University (advisor: Dr. Sarah Gaither) studying how people perceive race — and how those perceptions shape identity, intergroup experiences, and mental health.

​

My research focuses on racial ambiguity and what happens when people are miscategorized or stereotyped in ways that are incongruent with their actual identities. Across projects, I examine how these everyday perception errors affect Multiracial individuals, Latine communities, and Asian American subgroups. I also study how stereotypes and meta-stereotypes differ between East Asian and South Asian Americans, highlighting the importance of disaggregating Asian American experiences and using an intersectional lens.

​

A central goal of my work is connecting social perception to well-being. I show that being misperceived or experiencing identity denial predicts greater stress and depressive symptoms among Multiracial Asian Americans, and that racial context (such as living in Hawaiʻi versus the U.S. Mainland) can shape these outcomes. Current projects explore how diversity exposure relates to cognitive flexibility and mental health.

​

Overall, my work bridges social perception, stereotyping, and intergroup processes with identity and mental health, emphasizing how subtle perceptual mismatches can accumulate into meaningful psychological consequences.

​

Outside of research, I enjoy spending time with my cat Sage, cooking, growing my plant collection, practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, reading fiction, and exploring history. Feel free to reach out — I’m always open to collaboration, consultation, or conversation.