About Us
Brian Nosek
Brian is the Principal Investigator for FPI. He and his colleagues investigate how social environments shape thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness or conscious control. An
associate
professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia, Brian also directs Project Implicit , an Internet-based multi-university collaboration of research and education, and The Center for Open Science. Brian's research interests include implicit cognition, automaticity, memory, attitudes, beliefs, and identity, political and religious ideologies, morality, and the interface between theory, methods, and innovation.
Fred Smyth
Fred is Co-Principal Investigator and Director of FPI. A Research Assistant Professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, Fred's interest in the development of students' academic potential was shaped by more than a decade of work in college admission counseling, both at the collegiate and high school levels. His studies have included investigations of ethnic and gender differences in science graduation at selective colleges, uses of standardized testing in college admission, and the effects of prep-courses on SAT scores.
Marianne Barnes
Marianne is an educational consultant with the FPI. She is Professor in the Foundations and Secondary Education Department at University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, where she specializes in science education and educational research. She has served in leadership positions with National Science Foundation state and urban systemic initiatives directed at improving science and mathematics achievement and opportunities for all students. Her interests include teacher action research and reflective practice, partnerships with schools and school districts, and the enhancement of science and mathematics learning.
Carlee Hawkins
Carlee is assisting in the development of FPI study materials. She is a doctoral student working with Brian Nosek at the University of Virginia. Her research interests include prejudice reduction, the relationship between implicit and explicit attitudes, and political and religious ideology.
Jennifer Joy
Jennifer is a doctoral student working with Brian Nosek at the University of Virginia. Her interests span both cognitive and social psychology, in particular examining implicit attitude malleability and its effect on individual decision making. Jennifer’s other research projects involve stereotype threat, distance perception, and source quality versus quantity.
University of Virginia Undergraduate Research Assistants
Ousheng Dai
Ousheng is currently a graduate student at the Curry School of Education, working towards a Master's in Gifted Education. Having studied psychology and visual arts in undergrad, she has a wide range of interests. As of late, those interests have led her to educational research.
Lauren Faulkner 
Lauren is a second year psychology and biology major at the University of Virginia. Her interests within the field include clinical, social, and psychobiology. At the University, she is a sister of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and volunteers for Madison House. In the future, Lauren hopes to attend graduate school for genetic counseling or clinical psychology.
Theresa Gentile
Theresa is a fourth year psychology and government major at the University of Virginia and the Administrative Coordinator for FPI. Within the field of psychology, she is primarily interested in the intersection of public policy and psychology. At the University, she is a brother of Alpha Phi Omega National Co-ed Service Fraternity and volunteers for the admissions department. Theresa hopes to attend graduate school for clinical social work in the future.