Current Unicorns
Dr. Thekla Morgenroth
Principal Investigator
My research examines why and how people think differently about different social categories and how they react when their categorization systems are challenged.
Some of my current projects include research on why people think about important social categories such as gender in different ways, the psychology of support for and opposition to bodily autonomy, and the heterogeneity of views within social and political movements.
Kira Kay Means
4th year graduate student
I am broadly interested in studying feminism, gender-based prejudice, and prejudice occurring within social groups. As a member of the UNICORN lab, I am excited to integrate my interests in feminist and queer theory with social psychological research on gender. I am also interested in advanced quantitative methods and best practices in data analysis. In spring 2017, I earned a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from the University of Montana. After graduating, I participated in a year of AmeriCorps VISTA service in Washington, DC. I received my M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Western Washington University in spring 2021 and then was Lab Manager of the Brauer Group Lab at the University of Madison-Wisconsin during the following academic year.
Pronouns: She/her
Contact: means6@purdue.edu
Favorite magical creature: Also unicorn! I actually have a tattoo of a unicorn, so joining the UNICORN Lab was clearly meant to be. 🦄
Heejoo Jennifer Chung
3rd year graduate student
I am interested in studying how conceptions and ideas of gender shape and are shaped by personal identity, relationships between groups and individuals, and the sociocultural environment. I am excited to conduct social psychological research on gender while construing it as a multidimensional, not binary, and possibly flexible construct. Prior to joining the UNICORN lab, I earned a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology from Yonsei University in South Korea.
Austin Zeng
Lab Manager
I am interested in examining causal attributions and moral judgments in the context of intergroup relations. More specifically, I am interested in how majority group members make attributions about the disadvantages minority groups face as well as how moral judgments about individuals derive from these attributions. Before Purdue, I received my B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Tina Wang
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I’m a junior at Purdue University majoring in Psychology and Women’s Gender & Sexuality Studies, and minoring in Philosophy. I’m co-running a social media account about comprehensive sexuality education in China. For research interests, I’m broadly interested in the marginalization of minority groups from intersectional lens across culture, and perception on intimate relationship of people with BDSM-related interests.
Maura O'Sullivan
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a Junior majoring in Psychological Sciences and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, with a minor in Anthropology. At Purdue I am the Mental Health Chair, Risk Manager, and Recruitment Chair of Devonshire Cooperative. My research interests are the stereotypes and stigmas of psychological disorders and how they can lead to internalization, discrimination, or exclusion in minority groups.
Trisha Desai
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a junior at Purdue majoring in Psychology and minoring in Sociology. I am also one of the Sponsorship & Fundraising chairs for Purdue Thandava, a classical dance competition set for Spring 2026. My research interests encompass the many social systems that uphold various forms of inequality and how intersectionality plays a role in discrimination.
Jake Huemmer
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a Junior at Purdue University Double Majoring in Brain and Behavioral Science and Philosophy with a focus on Ethics. I am also a Purdue Posse Scholar, which is an organization that identifies leaders and trains them to be a catalyst for individual and community development. I am interested in exploring how relations with transgender individuals affect cis-gender persons' own self expression, sexuality, etc..
Lily Markland
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a Junior at Purdue University majoring in Psychological Sciences with a minor in Law and Society. I’m also an active member of Purdue American Red Cross and the Vietnamese Student Association. My research interests focus on the societal impacts of patriarchal systems, particularly their influence on the treatment of women in traditional households in Southeast Asian countries.
Indi Puckett
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a Junior majoring in Brain and Behavioral Sciences with dual minors in French and the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine. At Purdue, I am the president of the West Coast Swing Dance Society and a former mentor for the Women in Science Program. I am interested in exploring the biological basis of gender identity, specifically relating to transgender and gender nonconforming individuals and how that affects social behavior.
Waverley Daugherty
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a sophomore majoring in Psychological Sciences. I am also an active member of Psychology Club and Purdue Vinyl Club. My research interests include the effects of the gender binary on all individuals, heterogeneity within religious communities, and comorbidity manifestation in individuals with developmental disabilities.
Avery Biggs
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hi! I’m Avery and I am a senior majoring in psychology with minors in HDFS and creative writing. I am also president of Arts for the Heart, a student org focused on how creative expression impacts mental health and wellness. My research interests lie in the intersection between mental health and feminist/gender studies.
.png)
Lucy Murphy
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a junior double majoring in Psychological sciences and Global Studies with minors in Anthropology and Forensic Sciences. In addition to my studies I am also very involved in the theatre club Purdue Performance Collaborative. I also work as a Manager in Earhart Dining and am active in an unhoused social sorority! I am very interested in any social topic related research. My passion in psychology lies in rehabilitation and wanted to work with correctional facilities.
.jpg)
Yu-Jen Chen
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a junior double majoring in Data Science and Statistics. My research interests focus on understanding how people identify and perceive gender through psychological and data-driven perspectives. I am particularly interested in how these perceptions influence decision-making, communication, and marketing strategies in the business field. By combining behavioral insights with quantitative analysis, I aim to bridge human psychology and data science to support more inclusive and effective business practices.
Kartoffel
Lab mascot
My research interests include (1) food inequity with a specific focus on why the humans in my home always seem to get more exciting food than I do, (2) the best things to play with (preliminary results suggest that strings and kale are particularly great), and (3) finding the best spots to nap.
Pronouns: She/her
Favorite magical creature: Myself! I am the most magical creature there is.
Least favorite magical creature: Vacuum cleaner.
UNICORN alumni
PhD Students
-
Layla Dang (currently a post-doctoral fellow at Michigan State University)
Master Students
-
Finn Frohn (designer of the UNICORN lab logo!)
Research Assistants
-
Estefani Olguin
-
Abi Click (currently graduate student at the University of Connecticut)
-
Allie Mueller
-
Olivia Lewis (currently graduate student at UMass Boston)
-
Carter Skeels
-
Cynnie Thomas
-
Shelby Lehman