SI Lab Staff

Lab Manager, Riley Hemover

Riley is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Psychology department. They plan to graduate in Spring 2027 and continue onto a master's degree in academic research with a concentration in social psychology.

Riley is interested in social identity, leadership, and deviance. They are interested in how groups' relationships with leaders affect perceptions of group dissenters and how that could impact group dynamics. Through their work in the Social Identity Lab, they plan to continue learning about social psychology and apply the skills they have learned in future academic endeavors.

Interests: social identity, leadership, deviance, intergroup relations

Senior Researcher, Radhika Kothari

Radhika is a Psychology Graduate from Mumbai, India. She is a Behavioural Science Lead at Sova Health, a precision nutrition healthcare company.

With a background in psychology, she draws on insights from cognitive & decision sciences, social psychology and behavioural science to curate behavioural solutions that shape user experience.

She has been associated with Social Psychology Labs as a research assistant at Universities: North Western University, University of Virginia, Humboldt State University and the Ohio State University.

She has also published research in Social Psychology on the topic of Compliance and Fear of missing out.

Recent Work

R. Kothari & S. Buhariwaka (2020). Maximization, regret, and social comparison as predictors for fear of missing out. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 8(2), 811-817. DIP:18.01.097/20200802, DOI:10.25215/0802.097

Kothari R. (2021). Correlates of Compliance With COVID-19 Prevention Guidelines: Risk Propensity, Locus of Control, Intolerance of Uncertainty. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 9(2), 547-554. DIP:18.01.057.20210902, DOI:10.25215.0902.057

Senior Researcher, Miranda Connelly

Miranda graduated with her BA and MA from Cal Poly Humboldt in May 2026. She is a recipient of the prestigious McConkey Award for graduate students and spent her time as a student in many labs, gaining experience in social identity theory, social neuroscience, and health. Her passion is in the study of placebo.

Researcher, Counselor II, Aegis Treatment,

Jesse Benefiel

Jesse graduated with his MA in psychology from Cal Poly Humboldt in May 2026. He has dual interests in social psychology and neuropsychology. His thesis work aimed to outline how nature contributes to mental health.

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