Dr. Benjamin T. Blankenship (he/him)
Primary Investigator
Dr. Blankenship is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at James Madison University. His research is primarily focused on the effects of identity, identity dimensionality, and intersectionality across various contexts, especially in socio-political domains. He currently teaches Cultural Psychology and Research Methods at James Madison University. Learn more at btblankenship.com.
Collin Brown
Research Assistant
Collin is a senior Psychology major with a minor in Sociology. He has been working in the SOFAB Lab for two semesters. His favorite part of being in the SOFAB Lab is obtaining the experience of presenting research findings at professional psychology events. Collin aspires to become a researcher on social identities. When he’s not in the lab, Collin can be found playing video games, baking, and spending time with his cat!
Shannon Brown (she/her)
Research Assistant
Shannon is a junior psychology major with a minor in political science. This is her first semester in the SOFAB lab. She looks forward to learning more about the research process and gaining hands-on experience in the field. Shannon aspires to become either a clinical therapist or an educator in psychology. Outside the lab, Shannon can be found in the stadium with the Marching Royal Dukes, driving for SafeRides, or spending time with her friends.
Akira Hicks (she/her)
Research Assistant
Akira is a junior General Psychology and Justice Studies major with an Honors Interdisciplinary minor. This is her first semester being a research assistant with the SOFAB lab and she’s looking forward to working on research that connects both of her fields of study. Akira plans on going to graduate school to become a licensed therapist or work in the public health field. Outside of school and lab, Akira is a member of the Marching Royal Dukes, Tau Beta Sigma, and she loves animals, Taylor Swift, coffee, and spending time with friends!
Vanessa George
Research Assistant
Vanessa is a senior Psychology major with a Pre-Physician's Assistant minor. This is her first semester working with the S.O.F.A.B Lab. What interested her in this lab was research in intersectionality. Vanessa aspires to go to graduate school to become a Psychiatric Physician's Assistant. When Vanessa isn’t working on lab tasks, she can usually be found hanging out with her friends or watching RuPaul's Drag Race!
Hana Mahyoub
Hana Mahyoub is a junior Psychology major with minors in Arabic and Middle Eastern Communities and Migrations. She’s very passionate about the research she’s doing with the SOFAB Lab, and she hopes to use this and future work in counseling or research towards the service of Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) refugee communities. She also works towards this impact through her experience on the JMU Policy Debate team, being President of JMU’s Muslim Student Association, and working on her Honors Thesis. In her free time, she loves reading and spending quality time with friends and family.