Who We Are

The Academic Orientations Project (AOP) is a research initiative led by a team of individuals affiliated with University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). AOP is a part of the Developmental Moral Psychology Lab. Our research explores students nuanced way of thinking when evaluating cases of academic integrity. We have incorporated the use of multiple modalities of research (e.g., observations, online surveys, interviews of hypothetical and personal cases) to provide a diverse analysis of academic integrity.

The lead researcher is Dr. Talia Waltzer. Dr. Waltzer is interested in studying moral decision making in cases of academic integrity. Dr. Waltzer is passionate about creating educational opportunities for people through both basic research and applied work. The project is supervised by Dr. Audun Dahl, a professor in the Psychology department at UCSC. Dr. Dahl’s research has an emphasis on moral decision making and the development of morality.

The AOP Lab is located at UCSC in the Social Sciences 2 Building, Room 105. If you would like more info about the AOP lab, please email: aop@ucsc.edu

Academic Orientations Project Team Fall 2020

 

Lead Researchers

Audun Dahl, Ph.D.
Website

I am an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I received my Ph.D. in developmental psychology from UC Berkeley. My research investigates how young children acquire social skills, concerns, and understanding through everyday social interactions.

 

 

Talia Waltzer, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar, National Science Foundation
Website 

Hi there, I’m Tal. I received my PhD in Developmental Psychology at UCSC in 2022. As a researcher, I’m interested in how different people think, reason, and form beliefs – especially moral ones. As a not-just-a-researcher, I’m interested in running around outside (mountaineering, kayaking, and backpacking) and running around new places (learning languages and eating food).

 

arvidArvid Samuelson
PhD Student, Koret Scholar, Porter Research Fellow
Website

Hi, my name is Arvid Samuelson. I am a fourth-year transfer student pursuing an Intensive Psychology degree here at UC Santa Cruz. After getting my Bachelors’, I plan to attend graduate school and then hopefully work at a research institution. Right now I’m working on a project looking at when/why students report their peers for academic misconduct.

 

 

 

Research Affiliates

Charles Baxley
Ph.D. Student, ESIL

Hello everyone, my name is Charles Baxley. I officially joined the AOP team in May 2016, and graduated from UCSC in the fall of the same year. Since then, I have volunteered for the lab and have contributed towards several of our labs projects. Broadly, I am interested in how people from distinct groups interact, and I hope to utilize research to encourage peace for our future generations. Outside of research, I enjoy playing sports like basketball and spending quality time with loved ones and friends.

 

Carmelle Bareket-Shavit
Senior Thesis Student, Koret Scholar
Website

Hi there, my name is Carmelle Bareket-Shavit. I am an undergraduate student at UC Santa Cruz studying Cognitive Science. I have been a member of this lab since January 2017 and have had the opportunity to work on several projects! I am interested in researching perception and misconceptions, amongst many other things. Besides research, I enjoy spending time with friends and family and reading!

 

 

Research Assistants

Fiona DeBernardi

Hi! I’m Fiona DeBernardi. I am a junior transfer student majoring in psychology, and I will be joining the Academic Orientations Project in fall of 2020. I am interested in studying the psychology and philosophy behind ethics and decision making. Outside of research, I love rock climbing and creative writing.

 

 

Dakota Hughes

Hello! My name is Dakota Hughes and I am a fourth-year Intensive Psychology and Biology student at UCSC. I joined the Academic Orientations Project in May of 2021. I’m interested in studying the consequences of trauma on personality development and pathology. I am also interested in improving clinical personality assessments for diagnosing personality pathologies. Outside of research, I love to read, journal, hike, and play volleyball.

 

 

Yaodong Xu

Hi, I am Yaodong Xu. I am currently a cognitive science undergraduate at UCSC. I joined the AOP in the summer of 2021. I am interested in education and decision making. During my free time, I love to cook and play basketball with my friends.

 

 

 

High School Interns

Aarushi Shah

Hi! My name is Aarushi Shah and I am a rising senior at Santa Clara High School. I am very interested in moral development and reasoning as well as the many factors that contribute to cases of academic misconduct, and I am extremely excited to be a part of the Academic Orientations Project team as a SIP intern! Outside of research, I love to play volleyball, bake, hike, read, and paint!

 

 

 

Previous Affiliates with AOP 

Check out some photos of our lab members!