People

Principle Investigator: Samantha Moore-Berg, Ph.D

Samantha Moore-Berg, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the University of Utah and the director of the Peace and Intergroup Conflict Lab. In her research program, she focuses on isolating the mechanisms that contribute to intergroup conflict and understanding the psychological barriers that make people resistant to attitude and behavior change. She then develops theory-driven interventions that have real world impact and identifies the underlying mechanisms of established interventions currently used to fight intergroup conflict and systemic inequality. She conduct this research across the globe by assessing and intervening on conflict rooted in political polarization (i.e., in the U.S. between Democrats and Republicans), religious differences (i.e., in Israel between Jewish Israelis and Palestinians; in Nigeria between Christians and Muslims; in the U.S. between Muslims and non-Muslims), racial discrimination (i.e., in South Africa between White, Coloured and Black Africans; in the U.S. between White and non-White Americans), and immigration status (i.e., in the U.S. between citizen and immigrant populations). To conduct this work, she often collaborates with experts in both academia as well as practitioners, non-profit organizations, artists, and filmmakers to tailor her research to the needs of communities that are most affected by intergroup conflict. Further, she take a policy-oriented approach to my research by working with policymakers to incorporate my research into actionable policy outcomes.

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Email: Samantha.mooreberg@psych.utah.edu.

Kelsee Ure

Kelsee is the Lab Manager for the Peace & Intergroup Conflict Lab (PICL) and the Vision, Audition, Action, in Space & Time (VAAST) Lab at the U. A Utah native, she recently graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and a B.S. in Sociology from the University of Utah. Kelsee is still working to narrow her research interests, however, they currently include stereotypes, intergroup conflicts, identity formation, interventions, group identity, and ingroup vs. outgroup interactions. In her free time, she is an avid reader, a lover of soccer, and an amateur baker and bookbinder.

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Email: u1183160@utah.edu

Opeyemi Adeojo

Opeyemi Adeojo is a researcher in behavioral science and social psychology, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Utah. With a decade of experience in social research, his research portfolio encompasses the psychological mechanisms of dehumanization, identity-based polarization, prejudice formation, and intergroup relations in conflict-affected regions combining academic rigor with practical applications. Opeyemi collaborates with organizations like Beyond Conflict and has contributed to UN initiatives on countering violent extremism. Through empirical investigations , he examines how context-dependent social norms influence moral judgments and intergroup behaviors. His methodology integrates rigorous experimental trials with practical applications, contributing significantly to both scholarly discourse and international peace initiatives.

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Email: opeyemi.adeojo@psych.utah.edu

Danny Hang

Danny’s research interests broadly examine intergroup interactions and how identities and contexts shape those interactions. More specifically, his work focuses on solidarity, which can be described as people aiding each other in achieving similar or equal goals, especially to overcome adversity or address minoritization; his work focuses on solidarity formation and the implications of forming solidarity across various topics and fields.

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Logan Call

Logan is a fifth-year student in the Social Psychology PhD program at the University of Utah. He received his associate degree from Salt Lake Community College and his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Utah. His research focuses on attitudes, persuasion, and social influence in a variety of contexts, including politics and the LGBTQIA+ community. Logan’s area of interest is in how individuals form, maintain, and/or change their beliefs in response to various social and environmental factors. He work to understand how these factors influence people's attitudes on important social topics, including political preferences or support for LGBTQIA+ rights. In his free time, he enjoys spending time at home or outdoors with his husband and their two dogs.

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Email:logan.call@psych.utah.edu

Emma Franklin

Emma is a social psychology graduate student at the University of Utah. She was born and raised in Colorado and received her B.A. in psychology from Fort Lewis College in 2019. Her research interests include political psychology, attitude formation and change, persuasive communication, group identity, and intergroup conflict. In her free time, Emma enjoys camping, knitting, sleeping, spending time with family, and re-watching The Office.

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Email: emma.franklin@psych.utah.edu

Brittany Clark

Brittany is a third-year social psychology PhD student at the University of Utah. As an undergraduate, she fell in love with social psychology and psychological research in her very first psychology class! Since then, she has received her bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Arizona in 2019 and began her graduate training in 2022. Today, Brittany’s research interests include stereotyping, bias, motivation, interest, persuasion, and attitudes! In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time at concerts or outdoors with her partner and friends.

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Email: brittany.clark@psych.utah.edu

Haley Bock

Haley is a second-year PhD student in the Social Psychology program at the University of Utah. Before joining the program, she earned a B.S. in Psychology from Northern Arizona University and completed a Master’s degree at Western Washington University. Haley’s research broadly focuses on the role and perception of allies—individuals from relatively advantaged social groups who advocate for or support members of relatively disadvantaged social groups—in social action.

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