Graduate Student Assistants

Jared Goetz

Research Assistant
Department of Allied Health Sciences

Jared joined Dr. Pagoto’s team in 2016. He is currently a PhD student in the Health Promotion Sciences program and a graduate research assistant. Prior to joining the PhD program, he gained experience as a research assistant/coordinator working on projects investigating emotion and attention, emotional learning and memory, PTSD psychophysiology and interventions, weight management interventions, and digital health. His research interests include the role of affect and other biobehavioral determinants of eating behavior, weight management, obesity and digital health.

Christie Idiong

Research Assistant
Department of Allied Health Sciences

Christie joined Dr. Pagoto’s team as a research assistant in 2021. She received her Bachelors of Science in Public Health and Masters of Science in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at Springfield College. Her research interests include health communications, movement-based medicine, and digital health. She is currently a PhD student in the Health Promotion Sciences program.

Richard Bannor

Research Assistant
Department of Allied Health Sciences

Richard received his Master of Public Health degree, Bachelor of Science in Administration (Health Services Administration), and Diploma in Accounting all from the University of Ghana. He has several journal and conference publications, and also serves as a reviewer for a number of journals and conferences. Richard worked as a Health Service Administrator at the Ghana Health Service and is currently a doctoral student in the Health Promotion Sciences program. He joined Dr. Pagoto’s research team as a Graduate Research Assistant at the UConn Center for mHealth and Social Media in 2020. His research interests include social media, digital health, health behavior, healthcare innovation adoption, and pandemics.

Former Graduate Students and Fellows

Lindsay Palmer

Post Doctoral Fellow
Department of Allied Health Sciences

Lindsay joined Dr. Pagoto’s team in 2022. She graduated from Penn State with a Ph.D. in Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies. Her research primarily focuses on phenomena related to social disparities, stigma, and diversity.

Abiodun Atoloye, PhD

Post Doctoral Fellow ’21-22

Abiodun holds a PhD in Nutrition Science from Utah State University. Her research focuses on addressing nutrition disparities through improved access to affordable and nutritious food. She explores the determinants of and solutions to poor nutrition and health outcomes using a mixed-method research approach, geo-narratives, and innovative measurement tools. After her post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Atoloye returned to Utah State as a member of the faculty.

Laurie Groshon, MS ’21

Laurie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Goucher College in 2019. During her undergraduate career, she participated in two research labs examining topics such as childhood morality and coping expectancies in French-speaking adults respectively. She completed a Master’s degree in Health Promotion Science at the University of Connecticut. Her thesis involved a content analysis of tweets posted on Twitter during pandemic-related statewide shutdowns that discussed indoor tanning. She is now currently studying for her Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Florida. 

Matthew Schroeder, MS ’21

Matt received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychological Science and Bachelor of Science in Applied Social Research at Miami University in 2019. During his undergraduate career, he participated in research labs studying undergraduate student motivation for research and social neuroscience respectively. He completed a Master’s degree in Health Promotion Science at the University of Connecticut. His thesis involved a content analysis of the viral hashtag, #HowIFightDepression, with a focus on adaptive, maladaptive, or both adaptive/maladaptive coping strategies. He is now currently a Research Coordinator under Dr. Nicole R. Fowler at the University of Indiana. 

Kelsey Arroyo, MS ’20

Kelsey received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2018. During her time at the colleges, she served as a research assistant in the clinical health psychology lab for two years examining stress and mindfulness as well as cognitive fusion levels and physical health in college students. She completed a Master’s degree in Health Promotion Science at the University of Connecticut. Her thesis examined health misinformation shared in an online community for mothers. She is now currently studying for her Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Florida.