Lab Director
Sara Chadwick, Ph.D
Credentials: Assistant Professor of Gender and Women's Studies and Psychology
Position title: Lab Director/Principal Investigator
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Email:
sbchadwick
Dr. Chadwick is a feminist social psychologist who uses diverse methods (surveys, interviews, experiments, national databases) and interdisciplinary approaches from Psychology, Gender and Women’s Studies, and Public Health to study gender, coercion, orgasm, sexual desire, and other aspects of sexuality. Her research focuses on identifying and assessing “gray-area” forms of sexual coercion and dating abuse – that is, negative or problematic experiences and behaviors that do not fit normative definitions of sexual or dating violence. Her research is also deeply invested in understanding how such experiences differ for women, men, and gender/sexual minorities (e.g., trans, nonbinary, bisexual, lesbian/gay) and contribute to sexual and psychological health disparities (sexual functioning, psychological distress, STI/HIV risk). Dr. Chadwick is currently working on projects related to orgasm coercion and intimate partner violence, dating-app facilitated sexual violence, condom coercion, and the heteronormativity theory of low sexual desire in women partnered with men.
Graduate Students
Abbie Clapp
Position title: Ph.D. Student
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Email:
arclapp
Abbie is a third-year PhD student in Social Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies. She is primarily interested in research questions related to women’s sexuality, including sexual satisfaction, sexual desire, and sexual scripts, as well as the role of objectification in shaping sexual experiences. Additionally, she is interested in measurement and scale development. When not conducting research, she enjoys thrifting, hiking, and trying new recipes.
Graduate Student Affiliates
Tonya Pavlenko
Position title: Ph. D Student in Clinical Psychology at The New School
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Address:
Tonya Pavlenko is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Prior to starting her graduate training, she was a Research Analyst at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. Her research interests are focused on gender and sexuality, reproductive health/justice, LGBTQIA+ experience, and critical feminist methodologies. Outside of her academic and clinical work, Tonya enjoys making pottery, reading, and spending time outdoors.
Undergraduate Research Assistants & Volunteers
Alastair Denkert
Position title: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Pronouns: he/him
Hello! My name is Alastair Denkert. I am a junior majoring in Psychology and Gender & Women’s Studies with a certificate in LGBTQ+ studies. I am interested in studying how transgender people, specifically transgender men, navigate relationships, sexuality, and interpersonal violence, along with how transgender and queer identity intersect with additional identities to shape people’s experiences. In my free time, I enjoy listening to a lot of music and watching volleyball and women’s hockey.
Teagan Johnson
Position title: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Hi, my name is Teagan Johnson! I am a sophomore double majoring in Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies, as well as pursuing a certificate in Disability Rights and Services. I am very interested in gender roles, dis/ability, and the facilitation of healthy relationships within marriage and family. I love to paint, listen to podcasts (typically true crime), and go thrift shopping!
Alethea Quick
Position title: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Hello! I’m Alethea “Thea” Quick. I am a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, as well as additional degrees/certificates in Theatre/Drama and German. I am most interested in observing how social scripts (particularly those which guide sexual behavior) impact how people interact with one another and construct their concepts of self and others. Outside of the lab, I’m often acting in a play, reading or writing something, making music, or bothering my roommate’s cats.
Carson Schwartz
Position title: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Pronouns: he/him/his
I’m Carson Schwartz, a junior majoring in Psychology and Spanish with a certificate in LGBTQ+ studies. I’m interested in how gender and sexuality are influenced by other key identity points (intersectionality). In my spare time, I like watching horror movies in broad daylight.
