ARM | People
Current Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Cameron S. Kay, PhD
Cameron Kay (he/him) is a visiting assistant professor in the psychology department at Union College. Before joining Union College, Cameron completed a PhD in psychology with a specialization in quantitative research methods at the University of Oregon and a BA in psychology at the University of British Columbia. He enjoys producing music, playing board games, watching movies, skiing, and playing soccer.
Thesis Advisee / Independent Study Advisee
Trishikha Kiran Rao
Class of 2025
My name is Trishikha Kiran Rao and I am originally from India. I am a Junior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Law and Humanities. I have previously done research centered around learning, metacognition and creativity and am currently working on a project focusing on body image and eye tracking. My independent study with Prof. Kay will focus on the association between narcissism with gaslighting and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
Sophomore Project Advisee / Research Advisee
Mai Tran
Class of 2027
My name is Mai Tran and I am from Vietnam. I major in Psychology with double minors in Sociology and Japanese. I am a scholar in the Scholars Program and I am doing my Sophomore Project with Professor Kay on the correlation of Hikikomori (extreme social withdrawal) and Internet Addiction with the US population. I have worked on different types of clinical psychology research, including a self-study on the prevalence of ADHD in my hometown and Professor Walker’s project on body image exposure using Virtual Reality. After my Sophomore Project, I would like to focus more on social-clinical psychology exchanges in research and hopefully go onto my PhD in clinical psychology with a more in-depth focus on these topics!
Seward Project Advisee
Marcus Brem
Class of 2026
My name is Marcus Brem and I am a Psychology Major from New York City. On campus I am the President of the Class of 2026, President of Speakers Forum, President of Psi Chi, Vice President of Colleges Against Cancer, and the Philanthropy Chair for Kappa Alpha. I have a passion for mental health with a focus on the younger generation. I am so excited to be a part of Professor Kay’s research team and study gaslighting in parent-child relationships!
Seward Project Advisee
Sara Harrow
Class of 2026
My name is Sara Harrow and I am from Niskayuna, NY. I am pursuing a Biology and Spanish interdisciplinary major as well as a Psychology and Anthropology double minor for the Seward Fellows Program. For my research project with Professor Kay, I will be looking at the Theory of Virtuous Violence and the ways in which it impacts our country and other countries as well. On campus, I am Co-President of the Best Buddies Club, Co-Chair of the Messa Minerva House, an English tutor for children in Ukraine, a member of the UCEMS club, and a member of the Women’s Club Soccer team. After Union, I plan on attending medical school.
Research Advisee
Vhalky Abraham
Class of 2025
My name is Vhalky Abraham, and I’m a senior psychology major from Boston, Massachusetts. I’m passionate about mental health, and understanding the human mind, and I am particularly excited about recent developments in psychology related to sleep and mental illness. While I haven’t decided on a specific career direction yet, I have come to love the field of psychology and am eager to explore various paths, whether in research or clinical practice. I’m really excited to work with Professor Kay and connect with all the advisees already on board. I’m looking forward to contributing to the research team and learning from each of you!
Research Advisee
Kirit Dhanjal
Class of 2027
My name is Kirit Dhanjal, and I’m a Biology/Psychology ID major from Fairfield, Connecticut. On campus I am the co-chair of the Golub House Minerva, Cultural Representative of Students of South Asia, and Volunteer/Event Coordinator of Red Cross Club. I am passionate about mental health awareness and am interested in possibly pursuing a career in psychiatry.
Research Advisee
Alex Lim
Class of 2027
My name is Alex Lim and I’m a Biology and Psychology ID major with a minor in Data Analytics from Newton, Massachusetts. At Union, I am the co-chair of Golub house and the treasurer of Biology Club. In the past, I have worked on projects using computational neuroscience but am currently focusing on the psychology of numerical cognition, mainly concerning even and odd numbers. I plan to pursue medicine after graduation.
Research Advisee
Sohan Shah
Class of 2027
My name is Sohan Shah and I am a Biology/Psychology ID major from Staten Island, NY. On campus I am a member of the Sorum Minerva Council, Treasurer of the Badminton Club, and Event Coordinator of the Biology Club. I am interested in the intersection of healthcare and psychology and plan on pursuing a career in medicine.
Past Lab Members
Thesis Advisee / Research Advisee
Natalia Garcia Moreno
Class of 2024
My name is Natalia Garcia Moreno and I’m from Chile. I’m majoring in Psychology. I’m also a Seward Fellow with an organizing theme minor of Gender Studies and Psychology. My research will focus on: “The Thin Ideal, Lack of Training in Medical Professionals and their Effect in Eating Disorder Diagnoses”. On-campus I’m the treasurer of AAUW (American Association of University Women) and the Public Relations chair of LASO (Latin American Student Organization). I’m also a peer mentor in the Body Project and a member of Kappa Delta PhiNas. After Union, I plan to get a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and be a therapist.
Research Advisee
Gabby Gavala
Class of 2024
My name is Gabby Gavala and I am from Sutton, Massachusetts. I am a third year student at Union College (Psychology major with a Statistics minor). On campus, I am the Vice President of Campus Life for Student Forum, as well as a member of the Track and Field team. Since high school, I have always wanted to study psychology and expand my understanding of how the brain and mind affect human behavior. Continuing after graduation into clinical psychology, I want to help people work toward their own personal goals as well as benefit my community in a positive way.
Thesis Advisee / Research Advisee
Ian Gray
Class of 2024
My name is Ian Gray and I’m a psychology major from Allendale, New Jersey. On campus I’m the Vice President of the Pre-Health Society, Peer Mentor for The Body Project, and Co-Volunteer Coordinator for the Red Cross Club. My primary interest in the field is in the clinical domain and I hope to offer this perspective to the lab. My previous research experience has been in pediatric psychology in the Child and Family Wellness Lab where I was responsible for gathering scales related to emotion regulation. After graduation, I plan on completing a pre-medical post-baccalaureate program in order to attend medical school where I intend on specializing in psychiatry.
Research Advisee
Lily Schwarcz
Class of 2026
My name is Lily Schwarcz and I am from Westchester, New York. I am majoring in Psychology and minoring in Gender Studies. I am the captain of the Women’s rugby team at Union. I love hiking around upstate New York and DJing. My research will be focused on finding correlations between weight stigma and physical activity. After Union, I plan on attending graduate school and work as a clinical psychologist.
Last updated: September 9th, 2024.