Institutional Researcher
Pragmatic Instructor
Dedicated Mentor
My Academic Journey
My academic journey ended before it began when I dropped out of high school.
Although being a high school dropout is statistically the end of the optimal road for most people, being away from education only intensified my ambition to learn.
In 2009, I enrolled in Fullerton College where I took a research methods class and discovered my passion for engaging in projects that seek to improve the experiences of underrepresented populations, particularly how intergroup bias can be reduced in today’s society.
Earning the prestigious two-year University of California Regents’ Scholarship allowed me to transfer to University of California, Irvine (UCI) in 2011.
I immediately joined Dr. Wendy Goldberg’s research lab and worked with Dr. Agnes Ly, where I investigated the extent that parents agree about behaviors of children with and without autism spectrum disorders (see picture).
I also collaborated with Dr. Jutta Heckhausen and Dr. Brandilynn Villarreal, taking a cross-cultural approach to explore the extent to which parents and their college-aged children set and pursued goals collaboratively, a concept in the literature called shared agency. This research culminated in a 2016 paper in Motivation Science.
Dedicated to helping other students succeed, I became a peer educator at the Transfer Student Center, a mentor in the Anteater Mentorship Program, and a discussion leader for the Freshman Summer Start Program. In these programs, I guided incoming students, often first-generation and ethnic minority students, in their transition to academic and social success at a four-year university.
After graduating from UCI with a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior, I worked with children with developmental disabilities, as well as neurotypical children, to help them learn social cues, such as recognizing others’ emotions. While rewarding, I had burning research questions on my mind…
In 2017, I joined the labs of Dr. Shelly Gable and Dr. Diane Mackie as a Ph.D. student at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB).
In 2019, I obtained my M.A. in Psychological and Brain Sciences. My thesis investigated the role of motivations and emotions in the interactions between people from different racial groups.
Then in 2024, I successfully defended my dissertation, examining how group members influence others’ emotions and their goals for doing so, and earned my Ph.D. in Psychological and Brain Sciences with an Emphasis in Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences.
Despite not needing to teach due to being fully funded, I sought out these opportunities anyway. I love connecting with students to explore all the psychological phenomena around us.
I have been a teaching assistant for multiple courses, including Research Methods, Statistics, Social Influence, Language and Thought, and Psychology of Choice.
I have also been an instructor of record for my own courses, including Emotions, Social Influence, Research Methods, and Statistics!
I continued my commitment to diversity at UCSB through mentoring. I have guided undergraduate students majoring in psychology as part of Access Grads Program and mentored research assistants in our research labs, many of whom are underrepresented students who have landed stellar positions in industry or in graduate school. I have been a research mentor for two first-generation and ethnically minority students through the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Summer Program for Undergraduate Research, both of whom are currently in Ph.D. programs in psychology. In addition, I mentor traditionally underrepresented graduate students, including first-generation and student parents, through the UCSB Graduate Division Graduate Scholars Program to aid in their transition to graduate school.
Where I am Now
Since 2022, I have transitioned into my role as a Research Analyst at San Bernardino Valley College.
I have worked on various projects, and participated in the RP Group Leading from the Middle (LFM) Program and California Community Colleges Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Program in the 2023-24 academic year.
In my role, I leverage my experience as a trained experimental psychologist to conduct and analyze surveys, and write comprehensive reports. I also collect qualitative data by conducting focus groups to more deeply understand our students’ experiences.
Ultimately, I use data to examine factors that drive not just student persistence but their ability to thrive.
Since Fall 2024, I have joined Chaffey College to teach Statistics for Social Science as a part-time faculty member.
I am looking forward to teaching again after a hiatus of a few years!
Fun Facts About Me
When I am not researching or teaching, you can find me outside.
Since 2011, I have paddled dragon boat and outrigger canoe for various teams, including UCI Dragon Boat, Los Angeles Racing Dragons (as coach and vice president), and Newport Aquatic Club. Find me below in the yellow hat!
Nowadays, due to time constraints, I enjoy heading out to the ocean on my stand-up paddleboard and having a beach day with my kids.
I have recently fallen in love with triathlons, so nowadays, you can often find me running or on my bike.
And of course, hiking, camping, and backpacking are for the weekends and days off!
There’s still more to me! I have two kids, a rowdy dog, and two feisty cats. I have recently taken to planting fruit trees (anyone need lemons?), and I’m trying to transform my office into a jungle using house plants. I play the violin and dabble in piano and classical guitar. And who doesn’t like eating good food? Any restaurant recommendations?
I’d love to connect with you, whether it’s about research, teaching, hobbies, or your interests, so feel free to contact me!
Vinnie C. Wu, Ph.D. 