“I am interested in motivation, sense of belonging, and both problem-based and group-based learning in the higher education classroom. My passion is improving the college experience for contemporary undergraduate students. In my free time I love to travel and enjoy hiking.” 

 

Naomi Beckwith, Master’s Student 

 

 

“I love teaching and my research interest is in improving the learning process and experience. My research interests are memory and recall, the influence of generative AI in education, and the applications of generative AI in all learning contexts. I enjoy spending time with my family, being outdoors, and exploration/survival video games.” 

 

Kevin Gray, Doctoral Student 

 

 

“My research interest lies in exploring how Expectancy-Value Theory can be used to frame mathematics in early childhood education. I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, watching movies, and reading.” 

 

Breanna Jansa, Master’s Student

 

 

“My research interest includes research and evaluation in educational and nonprofit organizations, motivation theories, communication technologies and wellbeing. I enjoy serving at local nonprofits, cooking/baking, catching up with family and friends, or playing with my pets in my free time.” 

 

Thomas Pham, Doctoral Student

 

“My research interests include college students’ self-beliefs (e.g., mindsets, self-efficacy) and contextual factors (e.g., teacher-student relationships) that promote their learning engagement and sense of belonging at college. I love cooking, collecting stationery, learning new things, and traveling to the beach with my family.” 

 

Ngan Tran, Doctoral Student 

 

“My research interests include social development and motivational aspects within online learning environments.” 

 

Brandi Bowers, Doctoral Student

 

 

 

 "I am interested in research involving learners' social media engagement and its impact on their wellbeing and learning success. My free time is spent exploring new places and seeing new things with my family. I appreciate adventure, the outdoors, and being active.” 

 

Paul Hunhoff, Doctoral Student

 

“My research interests surround the lived experience of caregivers of autistic children. I wish to center caregivers' voices, bringing attention to their nuanced perspectives. My hope is that by doing so, we can develop interventions that foster caregivers' physical and psychological health and well-being. To support well-being at Oklahoma State, I proudly volunteer in our pet therapy program, Pete's Pet Posse. My Golden Retriever, Bob, and I love spreading joy throughout campus and the Stillwater community.” 

 

Jaime Lewandowski, Doctoral Student

 

“My professional interests include modernizing classrooms through effective technological strategies, such as incorporating AI to enhance understanding of learning objectives. I aim to research the effects of ACES (adverse childhood experiences) on learning aspects like metacognition and processing skills to improve student support. In my free time, I enjoy yoga for balance, reading and writing poetry for creativity, and traveling to connect with diverse cultures. Spending quality time with loved ones enriches my life and inspires my work in education.” 

 

Lidya Solomon, Master’s Student