PEOPLE — PRIDE LAB

The Psychology of Racism, Identity, Diversity, and Equity (PRIDE) Lab

Simon Howard, Ph. D.

simon.howard@miami.edu

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Dr. Simon Howard is the Director of the Psychology of Racism, Identity, Diversity, and Equity (PRIDE) lab and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami. He is a first-generation college graduate who completed his undergraduate degree at San Jose State University. Dr. Howard went on to earn his Ph.D. in Social Psychology at Tufts University. Using experimental methods drawn from cognitive, perceptual, and social investigations his research aims to understand and address contemporary racism. To this end he has conducted research on the interpersonal and contextual influences on racially biased perception, judgment, behavior, and mental health of both historically advantaged (e.g., White people) and disadvantaged group members (e.g., Black people). His recent work can be organized in three broad themes: 1) The role of religion in maintaining racial hierarchy; 2) the influence of race on perception, judgment, and behavior, and 3) The consequences of exposure to vicarious racism for racially stigmatized groups.

Outside the lab, Dr. Howard enjoys traveling, training capoeira, working on music (hip-hop), attending spoken word open mics, and eating good food.

Samantha Tellefsen

sxt1267@miami.edu

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

Sam is the lab coordinator for the PRIDE Lab. She received her BS in Psychological and Brain Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara, during which time she worked as an RA for Dr. Nancy Collins’ Close Relationships Lab. Prior to joining the PRIDE Lab, she was a lab manager for the Applied Moral Psychology Lab at Cornell, where she contributed to projects on grudge-holding and effective leadership. Her present research interests center around experiences with collective injustice and its relationship to forming, maintaining, and ending interpersonal relationships. Outside of the lab, she enjoys exploring local thrift stores and getting lost in a good book.

Graduate Students

iem54@miami.edu

India McCray is a graduate student in the Adult Track of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Miami. She received her BA in psychology at the University of Louisville. Her research interests include the effects of systemic factors in marginalized communities, with an emphasis on racism and mental health, and quality of life for individuals in underserved populations. In addition, understanding how systemic racism, socioeconomic disparities, health disparities, and historical trauma shape perceptions of personal and collective well-being. India strives to produce research that aims to identify factors that contribute to improving quality of life, achievement, and inform interventions that support the well-being of minority populations in a nuanced and culturally responsive manner. Outside of the lab, India enjoys running, cooking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.