FF-TIP LAB

Lab Director

Kanako Taku

Kanako Taku is a Professor of Psychology who is a leading scholar on post-traumatic growth (PTG).  As a clinical psychologist certified in Japan, she has conducted a series of cross-cultural research on the subject of how people change psychologically, cognitively, socially, and spiritually after traumatic events. Click here for her contact information, click here for resume (curriculum vitae), here for publications, and here for current research interests.

Graduate students

Taylor Elam

Taylor is a third-year Ph.D. student with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in writing and rhetoric that she obtained from Oakland University. She initially joined the lab as an undergrad due to her interest in emotions and individual differences related to trauma, PTG, and resilience. Her current research interests include understanding emotions, nonverbal communication, and person perception in clinical settings. Taylor can be reached at elam@oakland.edu

Marina Morris

Marina is a second-year PhD student with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in both Psychology and Biology from the University of Toronto. She became interested in the FF-TIP lab due to Dr. Taku’s cross-cultural research as well as her work on traumatic and major life events. Marina’s current research interests include non-romantic relationships from an evolutionary perspective, understanding the nuances of when people cooperate and when there is conflict, and cross-cultural comparisons. She hopes to apply her research to develop community resources and interventions. Marina can be reached at marinamorris@oakland.edu

Paxton Hicks

Paxton Hicks, a former undergraduate student and research assistant of the FF-PTG lab, has now joined the lab as a graduate student. His concentration focuses on social personality psychology. As a second-year graduate student he will be continuing to observe tipping points in deceptive behaviors. He hopes to expand this topic into several domains such as looking social contexts and how this may influence these behaviors. His experience in the lab motivated these interests in tipping points and answering when someone commits to a change; especially when it comes to lying. Paxton passion lies in academia and with aspirations of obtaining his Ph. D. in the future. Paxton can be reached at phicks2@oakland.edu. You can also view more of Paxton’s work on his personal website https://paxtonhicks.wordpress.com

Katie Romzek

Katie is completing her bachelor’s degree this year as part of the B.A./M.S. Psychology program at Oakland University. She has a passion for working with children and diverse learners and enjoys promoting emotional regulation, independence, learning, and confidence both at work and through research. After graduating from Oakland, Katie plans to pursue a Ph.D. in School Psychology. She can be reached at katherineromzek@oakland.edu.

Samantha Hart

Samantha is a second-year Master’s student with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Communications from Oakland University. Her previous undergraduate research focused on cognition, memory, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. As Samantha works to establish her own research base within the FF-TIP Lab, she explores the effectiveness of implementing self-talk interventions within sport and educational spheres. After receiving her Master’s, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical or Sport Psychology. Samantha can be contacted at hart3@oakland.edu.

Gina Reyes

Gina Reyes is currently a senior at Oakland University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Christianity Studies. She joined the FF-TIP lab to gain experience in the research process. Her research interests include how worldviews and beliefs change and how they affect an individual’s mental processes and behavior. She is also interested in studying people’s beliefs about grief, and how these beliefs might result in stigma surrounding grief. Additionally, after completing her undergraduate degree, Gina plans to attend graduate school and continue work in psychology research. Gina can be reached at ginareyes@oakland.edu

Ana Samaniego-Ramos

Ana Samaniego Ramos is a junior with a major in Psychology and French at Oakland University. Ana joined the FF-TIP Lab to gain research experience and be able to apply the knowledge she’s gathered from her classes and other life experiences to the lab’s work. Her research interests focus on how cultural identity, cultural adjustment, and life experiences affect individuals, which she will explore in depth in her Honors College thesis. After completing her bachelor’s degree, Ana wants to pursue graduate studies in either mental health counseling or clinical psychology. She can be reached at asamaniegoramos@oakland.edu

Conner Cole-Salem

Conner Cole-Salem is a senior at Oakland University with a major in psychology. After graduating with his Bachelor’s degree, he plans to continue his education by obtaining a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Conner joined the FF-TIP Lab to research factors that lead to clients discontinuing treatment. He hopes to be able to apply this research to his work as a counselor in the future. He can be reached at ccolesalem@oakland.edu