For folks interested in applying to work with me as a grad student, see below for:

More info about SBU's Cognitive Science PhD program: www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/psyc...

More info about my lab and work: rmpillai.com

I clearly thrive under pressure 😅

Thank you Mikey!! ☺️

Thanks Ben!!

Hard to believe my first day in the Balas Lab was 10 years ago this June 🤯

I appreciated the opportunity to bridge my topics from undergraduate work in cognitive science with @bjbalas.bsky.social with my PhD work in social psychology, culture, and religion! :)

Throughout, our commentary discusses the cyclical nature of an individual's cognition, their individual cultural and religious factors (e.g., denomination, beliefs), and their broader religious and cultural environment (e.g., social-norms of religion within a particular culture).

Building upon the call by John Teehan in the Target Article, we discuss the importance of taking a variety of cultural and religious experiences into consideration when conducting psychology research, and particularly cognitive psychology.

So sorry for your loss! Sending a cute pet pic your way — Addie (left) and Garu (right)

The same group of students also all came into class belting songs from wicked and told them maybe the research question of the Stanford prison experiment was "Are people born wicked or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" and they clapped so I'd call today a win