Principal Investigator

Dr. Alissa Mrazek

Alissa started her position as a Research Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at UT Austin in September 2020. Before joining the Longhorn community, she conducted a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Jonathan Schooler at UC Santa Barbara. Alissa completed her Ph.D. in 2016 at Northwestern University under the guidance of Dr. Dan Molden. She started appreciating the synergistic benefits of integrative interventions in grad school—particularly when combining mindset training with self-regulatory training. Though her love for interventions really began back in college. Alissa triple majored at Cornell University in 2010 and her honors thesis on altruism planted seeds of curiosity for how we could use psychological science to create lasting wellness for ourselves and others. She feels deeply grateful to spearhead a mission-focused lab aiming to improve the academic performance and mental health of teens across the country.

Director of Data Analytics

Dustyn Ransom

Dustyn graduated in May 2024 from UT Austin with a major in Psychology and a minor in Applied Statistical Modeling. In the Applied Psychology Lab, Dustyn utilizes his advanced R skills to assess the efficacy of Finding Focus—both the 10-Day Course and the Focus Coach— in classrooms nationwide. He started in the lab as an RA, then stayed on for a one-year post-bac fellowship, and now works full time in the lab. Dustyn hopes to obtain his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. When not on campus, Dustyn likes to play soccer, watch new movies, and have a laugh with his friends.

Contact Dustyn at: dustyn.ransom [at] utexas.edu

2025-2026 Undergraduate Research Assistants

Mayah Piunno

Mayah is a senior Psychology and Humanities Honors double major from Cleveland, Ohio. Mayah’s passion for the Applied Psychology lab stems from her own personal experience of understanding how your mindset and way of viewing the world can help you better your life both inside and outside of academics. She has used the Finding Focus app for over a year, and wants to help grow the tool because she strongly believes in its value. Mayah would like to pursue a master’s program in clinical psychology after graduating from UT Austin. Outside of research, Mayah does gymnastics on the Texas Gymnastics club team, and plays violin, guitar, and piano.

Contact Mayah at: mp49785 [at] my.utexas.edu

Rasika Krishna

Rasika is a sophomore at UT Austin majoring in Psychology and Anthropology. She is pursuing certificates in Core Texts & Ideas through the Jefferson Scholars Program and Children & Society through the Bridging Disciplines Program. Rasika is fascinated by children’s imagination and their understanding of abstract concepts, as well as the impact of stories on development. She is also deeply interested in children’s moral, emotional, and social learning, as well as expectations and achievement pressure, which led her to the Applied Psychology Lab and the Finding Focus Project. She is passionate about applied research that leads to direct, positive impact. After completing her undergraduate degree, Rasika plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and become a professor running her own lab. Outside of the lab, she enjoys going to concerts, singing Carnatic classical music, and boba runs with her friends!

Contact Rasika at: rasikapriya.krishna [at] utexas.edu

Team Photos Over the Years