Culture Collaboratory
Stephanie A. Fryberg, Ph.D.
Alisha Watts
Rebecca Covarrubias
Mai-Ly Duong
Greg Eldridge
Vincent Fricano
Karshannon Gene
Renn Hershey
Rabiah Muhammad
Deleana Otherbul
Yvonne Perez
Andrea Reyes
Alem Tecle
Vanissa Van Winkle
Andy Wilson
Alisha hails from New Jersey. In 2003, she received her B.A. in Psychology from Princeton University. Prior to grad school, Alisha taught Special Educ. at the SEED School of Washington, D.C. The experience heightened her drive to use social psychology to improve the academic performance of minority, low-income, and at-risk students. Alisha is currently a Nationall Science Foundation Predoctoral Graduate Fellow. She examines the factors that lead to academic disengagement, the removal of self-esteem from academic performance. She is researching the impact of theories of intelligence and stereotype threat on academic disengagement. She enjoys reading, movies, cooking, and dancing. Her favorite quote is: “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” – cleverly said by Albert Einstein.
Graduating with a B.S. degree in FSHD and a minor in Spanish in the Spring of 2007, Rebecca will continue her involvement with Dr. Fryberg’s lab to study stereotypes, theories of intelligence, academic disengagement as a UA graduate student. She enjoys discussing theories of academic achievement in low-income Mexican-American youth. Her spare time away from the collaboratory is spent reading books, especially about spiritual journeys. She enjoys listening to oldies, drawing, and watching old movies. If it’s one thing she believes in, Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist) said it best: “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
Rebecca Covarrubias
1st-Yr Ph.D. Grad. student
Mai-Ly joined the Collaboratory in Fall 2006 as a Psychology B.S. major and a Chemistry minor. She plans on pursuing dental school after she graduates in Spring 2008. Of all the labs in the Psychology department, she finds this the most challenging, but motivating lab experience. She is the President of the Vietnamese Student Association and works for OSCR as a Senior Multimedia Consultant/Workshop Lead training faculty and students on web design and video editing software. She LOVES the color yellow, pineapple, and coconut frozen yogurt. Her favorite books are Harry Potter (series) and books by Nicholas Sparks and Mitch Albom. Her favorite quote is: "The human heart feels things the eyes cannot see, and knows what the mind cannot understand." -- Robert Vallet.
A double-major in Psychology and Sociology Junior at the UA, Greg enjoys the process of research and chose to join the Collaboratory because social psychology sparked his interests. His ambition is to go to graduate school and have a career that he will enjoy and enhance his ability to make a difference. One of his life goals is to establish a no-kill rescue for dogs of all kinds. As you can tell, he loves dogs…but not just dogs… He also love elephants! He hopes to one day live in Boston, MA. There’s just something in the East coast air that is captivating!
Vincent Fricano joined the Collaboratory in November 2006. He has also been involved in the Social Identity Lab of Toni Schmader, Ph.D. He is currently taking undergraduate courses for Graduate school. He is a fan of fairy tales and trance music.
Vincent Fricano
Research Assistant
Renn Hershey after 10 grueling years, is graduating with a B.S. degree in Psychology. He is currently the President of the Arizona Flying Spahetti Monster Recruitment & Retention Association. His hobbies include spit shining shoes, eating worms, bowing down to his dog Hoby, and Reactments of the Battle of Hidalgo. During the day, Renn is an aspiring pizza delivery guy, by night, an aspiring Oscer Meyer Weiner driver. In his free time, he howls under the blue-corn moon searching for his long-lost tarantula. Perhaps in the future Renn will write this statement himself.
Renn Hershey
Research Assistant
Rabiah S. Muhammad is a 4th Year UA student graduating this Spring with a B.A. in Psychology and a double minor in Sociology & Political Science, with Honors. She has been working in the Culture Collaboratory since Spring 2006. She has experience in other labs; however, Culture Collaboratory is the one she finds most fascinating. She is excited to have the chance to study a semester abroad in France next Fall 2007 and will return to the Culture Collaboratory in Spring 2008. She enjoys reading, watching TV, baking, and biking. Her favorite movie is “The Princess Bride” and “Little Shop of Horrors” (don’t knock it til you’ve tried it!). She HATE spiders!!! –but- she will definitely go even more CRAZIER for mint cookies’n’cream ice cream (or jamocha almond fudge, mmm!
Rabiah Muhammad
Research Assistant
Deleana OtherBull is a Senior studying towards her 2nd Bacherlor’s degree in Psychology and creative writing. She joined the Collaboratory in January 2007. She is interested in historical trauma and cultural resilience. She would like to be a counselor or a teacher. She hopes to work with native peoples in dealing with trauma and grief, emphasizing on both traditional and community wide healing. She loves her pug, Buffalo Meat. She enjoys traditional dancing, going to pow wows, and gallery hop.
Yvonne Perez graduated from the UA in December 2005 with a degree in Psychology and an FSHD minor. She became a Research Assistant in the Fryberg Culture Collaboratory during the summer 2005. She had the opportunity to participate in many projects; however, she’s been mostly involved with Social Networks and Self, and the Culture and Self projects. She also works at an after school program for youths ages 12-17. She is responsible for coordinating educational activities for the youth. If she were to say anything about life- it would be that “the purpose of life is a life of purpose”.
Yvonne Perez
Graduate-Elect RA
This is Andrea’s first experience working in a research lab. She is a Psychology major and a Japanese minor with special interest in social psychology. She commits her extra time as the co-director for Stand Up for Kids, an organization created for the homeless youth in Tucson.
Alem Tecle, a junior at the UA, is new to the Culture Collaboratory this Fall 2007. She has prior research experience in Dr. Aurelio Jose Figueredo's psychology lab focusing on evolutionary psychology and behavioral development. Alem is currently a Psychology major, with a minor in Chemistry. Her biggest aspiration is to attend medical school. She joined the Collaboratory because she is very interested in cultural diversity. She has played the piano for more than 10 years.
Andy Wilson is a twenty five year old student from the area of San Francisco, California. He is studying Psychology and Music at the University of Arizona. Currently he is completing a senior research thesis involving Psychology, Education, and American Indian populations. In the future Andy hopes to attend either graduate school in the social sciences or study law. In addition, he aspires to play and compose music alongside other studies.
