Our Team
Lab Director
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Dr. Hoffman is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Cornell University. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Michigan and North Carolina State University. Dr. Hoffman earned his MA and PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his BA in Psychology from Quinnipiac University. He researches the development of ethnic-racial and sexual and gender minority identities in adolescence and their implications for academic, psychosocial, and mental health outcomes.
Graduate Research Assistant
Vicki earned her BA in Psychology from the State University of New York (SUNY) - Geneseo in 2015. She then went on to earn my Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work degrees at SUNY - Albany in 2019. She is interested in studying social systems supporting identity development in adolescence and young adulthood and originally from Spencerport, NY. Now, she's a Ph.D. student in Human Development & Family Studies, Social & Personality Development.
Graduate Research Assistant
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In 2018 Rob earned his BA in Agricultural Leadership from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Then, in 2023, he earned his Master of Science in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Broadly, he's interested in how social identity development contributes to flourishing in adolescents and young adults. He has methodological interests in scale design, growth models, and participatory research. Rob is from Northbrook, IL and now is a Ph.D. candidate in Developmental Psychology.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Emma earned a BS in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2021 and an M.Ed. in Quantitative Methods from Vanderbilt University in 2026. Originally from Fredericksburg, VA, they are now a PhD student in Developmental Psychology. They are interested in methodological issues in LGBTQ+ identity development.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
David is from Columbus, Ohio. As a crisis counselor, he is an advocate for mental health awareness and is interested in understanding how social identities shape well-being. He hopes to use his experience in the PRIDE Lab studying mental health within diverse communities to support his goal of becoming a genetic counselor who can connect with patients from any background. He is pursuing a major in Human Biology, and a minor in Human Development.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Arianna is interested in developmental psychology and neuropsychology. She is particularly interested in studying the different ways in which mental disorders present in minority individuals. She is from Brooklyn, New York, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Music.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Mia is from Severna Park, Maryland, and is interested in clinical psychology, with plans to pursue a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program and the long-term goal of becoming both a professor and clinician. Her research interests center on neurodivergence, mental disorders, and how social and developmental contexts shape mental health outcomes. She is currently majoring in Psychology and has additional interests in Cognitive Science at Cornell University.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Kayla is originally from Chicago, Illinois. She’s in the College of Arts and Sciences, studying Psychology. She is passionate about developmental psychology and social psychology. She is also particularly interested in examining how social pressures shape the psychological development and mental-well being of minority individuals.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Gabriella is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Human Development with a minor in Policy Analysis & Management. She is interested in clinical psychology with the goal of becoming a clinical psychologist. Her experiences have shaped her passion for supporting children and youth, particularly those with special needs and those navigating identity-related challenges. Originally from South Florida, she is eager to contribute to research on how developmental and social factors influence youth mental health.
Faculty Collaborators
Dr. Hannah L. Schacter – Wayne State University
Dr. Robert Marx – San Jose State University
Dr. Juan Del Toro - University of Minnesota
Dr. Brianna Byllesby – University of South Dakota
Dr. Deborah Rivas-Drake – University of Michigan
Dr. Kelly Lynn Mulvey – North Carolina State University
Dr. Beth Kurtz-Costes – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lab Alumni
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Ava Ingebrigtsen (2023-2026)
Julian Iwasko (2023-2026)
Kiara Shan (2023–2025)
McKenzie Murray (2022–2024)
Philly Latorre (2022–2023)
Danna Taboada (2025)
