People
Meet our BORG lab team-- the director, current members, alumni, and affiliates.
Director, Dr. Adi Wiezel
Adi Wiezel, Ph.D. is a social (and political) psychologist whose research emphasizes the structure of political attitudes as well as the emotional, motivational, social mechanisms of attitude change and intergroup relations. She also has strong interests in leadership preferences and has studied the influence of emotion on motivation and engagement in educational settings.
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She earned her PhD in social psychology, as well as a master's degree in political science, at Arizona State University, and has also organized a number of workshops centered around depolarization. In her free time, Dr. Wiezel “plays chaotic good”—connecting community by organizing events such as bar trivia nights for strangers, or hosting noir movie nights. She also regularly maintains at least one dilettantish artistic and athletic hobby; currently, ukulele-playing and running (slowly).
Undergraduate Researchers
Lindsay Bialecki
Fall 2024 - Present
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Lindsay Bialecki is a junior at Elon, majoring in Psychology and Political Science. She is passionate about understanding how people have meaningful conversations surrounding political issues and hopes to take this work with her working in both the psychology and political science fields post grad to make politics a more empathetic space for all. In her free time, Lindsay enjoys working with Elon Votes on campus, reading biographies and trying new coffees.
Lila Seiler
Fall 2024 - Present
Lila Seiler is a sophomore at Elon, majoring in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology. She is passionate about understanding the intricate relationship between clinicians and patients, fueling her ambition to attend graduate school to obtain her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. In her free time, Lila finds fulfillment as an engaged member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and has a love for various sports such as lacrosse and volleyball.
Sophie Verrecchia
Fall 2024 - Present
Sophie Verrecchia is a junior at Elon, majoring in Psychology with minors in Dance and Neuroscience. She is a member of the Psi Chi honor society and works as a tour guide, as well as in the Writing Center. She is passionate about exploring political polarization and behavioral cues to authenticity. After Elon, Sophie plans to attend grad school for social psychology. In her free time, Sophie enjoys reading, going for walks, and spending time with friends.
Faculty Affiliates & Collaborators
Dr. John Wagner
University of New Mexico
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Dr. John K. Wagner, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of New Mexico's Department of Political Science, investigates how information flows on social media shape political attitudes and behaviors. Dr. Wagner also spearheads initiatives aimed at enhancing student and faculty success while promoting greater inclusion within higher education institutions. Alongside these scholarly pursuits, he enjoys a passion for tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and an array of engaging computer games.
Dr. Michelle "Lani" Shiota
Arizona State Unviersity
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Dr. Michelle "Lani" Shiota is a Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University. Her basic science and lab investigates positive emotions, emotion regulation, emotion in close relationships, and emotional mechanisms of health behavior and behavior change. She also conducts applied research related to addiction, including the development and evaluation of trainings for community members in opioid overdose reversal, as well as an intervention to reduce substance use disorder stigma. She received her B.A. in Communication from Stanford University, and her Ph.D. in Social/Personality Psychology from UC Berkeley. She also enjoys an active life as a jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop dancer.