"My research interests highlight the intersection of education, family, and early childhood experiences. I am particularly interested in how teachers’ cognitions, emotions, and verbal instructions influence students’ learning, development, and emotional well-being in both traditional and online classrooms. I love spending time with animals and nature on weekends."

 

Aimee Zhong, Doctoral Student

 

 

“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 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 focuses on helping children build stronger social and emotional skills, especially those from diverse cultural and language backgrounds. I study how teachers’ beliefs, students’ confidence, and classroom environments affect learning and motivation. I am also interested in how small-group and collaborative activities support children’s growth. My goal is to create more inclusive schools that prepare students to adapt and succeed in life. Outside of academics, I enjoy reading novels, sewing, and scuba diving.”

 

Simin Ebrahimi Lialekol, 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