I am a PhD student in the lab of Dr. David Gilden at the University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology. In my current research I am investigating the psychological foundation of musical groove.

I completed my MA at UT in December, 2005 under the supervision of Drs. Todd Maddox and Art Markman. My master's thesis and subsequent research with Drs. Maddox and Markman explores the influence of motivation on learning (specifically category learning). I have also collaborated with Dr. Lisa Grimm on research involving the links between motivation and stereotype threat.

I graduated with a BS in Psychology from The Ohio State University in 2002, where I worked in the Music Cognition Lab of Dr. Caroline Palmer (now at McGill University). I worked on various research projects, including: the influence of auditory feedback on music performance (with Dr. Peter Pfordresher), anticipatory movements in music performance (using MoCap technology, with Dr. Simone Dalla Bella), and my senior thesis, which explored the dynamics of how performers flexibly switch from one melody to another.