Graduate Research Spotlight – Andrea Belgrade

In a time of increasing global exchange, psychological theory needs to better understand diverse populations. My work with Dr. Fiona Lee examines the convergence of multiple cultures primarily through the lens of positive psychology. The communities we have studied include Muslim-Americans, self-identified Multicultural people, immigrants, and refugees, and we have examined advocacy, wellbeing, adversarial growth, and identity among these people. My work explores these topics using multiple and mixed methods. In a single line of research we are implementing Photovoice, semistructured interviews, survey research, and experimental techniques to better understand and test our research questions. The Fiona Lee Lab is committed to providing undergraduates with meaningful research and community involvement experiences. We also prioritize communicating our research to the public and working with local communities to ensure our research is mutually beneficial. Our work seeks to provide useful insights that would help inform policies that affect our populations under study.