Dr. Michael Mrazek

Michael is an Associate Professor at UT Health Houston. He received his B.A. from Rice University, his Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from UC Santa Barbara, and he is the co-founder of UCSB’s Center for Mindfulness & Human Potential. Michael has published more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications. His work has been featured widely in international press, appearing in dozens of outlets including the New York Times, Forbes, and Scientific American. Michael has taught a wide variety of university-level courses, including Health Psychology, Positive Psychology, and Mindfulness: Science & Practice.

Julia Jennings

Director of School Partnerships

Julia graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2023 with a B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences and an Applied Psychology minor. As an undergraduate, she was involved in two research labs. In one, she examined the content of thoughts during periods of mind-wandering, and in the other, she investigated dual-language acquisition in elementary school children. Julia is passionate about meditation, mental health, and living intentionally. She is excited to support teachers in giving young adults the tools to live happy, healthy lives.

Contact Julia at: julia.jennings [at] utexas.edu

Jessa Podell

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Jessa graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in both Psychology and Gender and Sexuality Studies and a minor in Spanish. During her time as an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant to implement cognitive behavioral intervention-based peer support groups in a virtual reality setting. She is deeply passionate about improving mental health and its power to influence the way people engage with the world. She hopes to be able to help students achieve a sense of control over their ability to focus in their studies and everyday life. Jessa is currently working on coordinating research efforts and outreach methods to bring Finding Focus to school curriculums around the world.

Contact Jessa at: jessapodell [at] utexas.edu

Angie Trotter

Angie is a junior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Social Work. As a research assistant in the Applied Psychology lab, she supports the many educators bringing Finding Focus into their classrooms. Providing individuals with the tools they need to better their quality of life is a strong motivation behind her studies, and the primary motivator for working on the Finding Focus research project. After completing her undergraduate studies at UT, Angie plans to attend graduate school where she will pursue a license in Clinical Psychology.

Contact Angie at: angietrotter [at] utexas.edu

Elijah Woodson

Elijah is a sophomore at UT Austin, studying Psychology with a minor in Educational Psychology. As a research assistant in the Applied Psychology Lab, Elijah helps teachers utilize Finding Focus in their classrooms. He enjoys providing people with tools and resources previously unknown or inaccessible, allowing them to improve their well-being and, more specifically, their focus. Elijah is passionate about learning more effective ways to decrease the harmful effects of depression and anxiety experienced by high school students, which drew him to this lab. After completing his undergraduate degree, he would like to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and become a practicing Clinical Psychologist. Outside of the lab, you can find him in the Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium with the Longhorn Marching Band, listening to music, or spending time with friends.

Contact Elijah at: elijah.woodson [at] utexas.edu

Yaning Zhu

Yaning is a senior at UT Austin majoring in Psychology and minoring in Applied Statistical Modeling. In the Applied Psychology Lab, she mainly focuses on UX research and UX/UI design to optimize students’ attention training experience. Before joining the lab, she was also involved in multiple research projects at UT assessing topics such as (i) how social media users access health information in video format and (ii) mental health help-seeking behaviors in marginalized groups of young adults. After completing her undergraduate studies at UT, Yaning plans to become a UX or human factors researcher. Previously, she interned at Boehringer Ingelheim as a UX Research Intern working on a speech therapy app for people with post-stroke aphasia. Now, she works at UL Solutions as a part-time Human Factors Research Intern to make medical devices safer, easier, and more efficient.

Contact Yaning at: yaningz [at] utexas.edu

Dustyn Ransom

Dustyn is a senior at UT Austin majoring in Psychology and minoring in Applied Statistical Modeling. He has served various roles on campus, including working as a Data Science Teaching Assistant and an Opinion Columnist for the Daily Texan. Currently, in his role as a research assistant, Dustyn supports the school research protocol to assess the efficacy of Finding Focus in classrooms nationwide. Dustyn is interested in the fields of Sports Psychology and Clinical Psychology, and he plans to attend graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in the future. 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