TEAM

KRYSTIA REED, JD, PHD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Reed is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Dr. Reed received her law degree from the Nebraska College of Law in 2015 and her doctoral degree in Psychology with a Quantitative Emphasis from University of Nebraska - Lincoln in 2017. After graduating, she spent two years as an NSF Post-Doctoral Associate and Adjunct Professor of Law at Cornell University. Dr. Reed is also a member of the California bar.

GRACE HANZELIN, M.S.

PhD Student

Grace joined the Legal Decision Lab in 2020. She is a Legal Psychology doctoral student at UTEP. Grace graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and from the University of Pennsylvania with a Master of Science in Criminology. Her research interests include legal decision making within the context of the courtroom.

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See Grace's Blog Posts

MORGAN WAGNER

PhD Student

Morgan joined the Legal Decision Lab in 2021. She is a Legal Psychology doctoral student at UTEP. Morgan graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is primarily interested in group interactions and how they impact a person’s experience within the legal system.

POST-BACHELOR RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

BRENDA TORRES, BA

UTEP, 2020

Brenda received her B.A. in math with a concentration in statistics and a minor in psychology. Brenda is interested in data analysis and is currently working on her M.A. in statistics.

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See Brenda's Blog Posts

MARJORIE ROUSE, BA

ASU

Marjorie is a current graduate student at Arizona State University working towards her Masters of Science in Forensic Psychology. She graduated from UTEP with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Communications. Marjorie is interested in researching how childhood trauma can increase potential crime, as well as understanding how the definition and requirements of competency vary between judges and forensic evaluators.

PETER MCKENDALL

Cornell, 2020

Peter McKendall graduated from Cornell in 2020 with a BA in City and Regional Planning. He is interested in how attorneys influence juror decisions. He is planning on getting his MA.

PRISCILA RODANTE

UTEP, 2020

Priscila Rodante is a Psychology major with a Criminal Justice minor. Priscila is interested in the collateral consequences of criminal records. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school in Psychology. Priscila wishes to provide guidance for juveniles in the criminal justice system.

RUBI GONZALES
(LAB MANAGER)

UTEP, 2020

Rubi Gonzales is a Psychology major interested in social psychological issues and how they impact the courtroom and the criminal justice system (e.g., discrimination, jury decision-making, & plea bargain research). After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to pursue her PhD.

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See Rubi's Blog Posts

VANESSA RIVERO

UTEP, 2020

Vanessa Rivero is a Psychology major with a criminal justice minor.  Currently, she is studying what factors and victim characteristics influence voting decisions for Eponymous laws. In addition, she is interested in looking at gender inequality and how it influences voting decisions. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in counseling to help victims of Family Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, and Child abuse. 

See Vanessa's Blog Posts

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

AARON BALCAZAR

UTEP, 2021

Aaron Alexander Balcazar is a senior at UTEP studying for a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics. He is currently working on the Job Prospects study. After graduation, he plans to attend graduate school to pursue a medical degree.

ADDIE RODRIGUEZ
(TEAM LEADER)

Cornell, 2022

Addie Rodriguez is a junior at Cornell University studying Government. She joined the Legal Decision Lab in the Fall of 2018 and became interested in how jurors determine civil damage awards and how they are influenced by extralegal factors. Her current project is studying how attorney attractiveness influences juror decision-making. After her undergraduate studies, Addie plans to take a gap year to work and then attend law school.

ANDREA SANDOVAL

UTEP

Andrea is a psychology major with a minor in biology. She is interested in the institutional discrimination in society and introducing policies that will remedy prejudice behavior. Andrea to obtain a PhD in psychology to become a clinical psychologist, and wants to assist people and their families living in low income communities that may exhibit mental, or behavioral distress.

BELEN RENTERIA

UTEP

Belen Renteria is a Psychology major with a Biology minor.  She is interested in how policy is perceived by people making voting decisions and how it may be improved.  After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school and earn a Ph.D. in Legal Psychology.

CINTHYA MAGALLANES

UTEP, 2020

Cynthia Magallanes is a psychology major with a criminal justice minor. Cynthia is interested in how attorneys influence juror decisions in the legal system. She has also helped her grandfather, a defense attorney, with legal cases and now she contributes with the Legal Decision lab. She graduated from El Paso Community College in 2019 with a double associate in Criminal Justice and Psychology with honors. After graduation, she plans on pursuing graduate school to obtain her Ph.D. in Legal Psychology. And her goal is to join the FBI and become a special agent.

JENNY UNPINGCO

UTEP

Jenny Unpingco is a Psychology major with a minor in biology. She is interested in feminist and machismo attitudes and how they can directly affect policy making. After graduation she plans on attending graduate school and achieve her master’s in clinical psychology to later become a licensed therapist.

KAREN ESPINOZA

UTEP, 2022

Karen Espinoza is a senior at UTEP, and is studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Political Science. She is currently working on the Exonerated study. After graduation Karen plans on attending law school, and becoming a criminal prosecutor.

MEGHANA GAVIRNENI

Cornell, 2023

Meghana is a sophomore at Cornell University planning on majoring in Economics and Philosophy. She is especially interested in morality and the role it plays in driving human behavior and hopes to apply this interest while broadening our understanding of the judicial system. She plans on eventually going to law school.