I am an Assistant Professor of Social Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where I run the Emotion and Behavior Lab. My lab studies the dynamic process of building and maintaining social connections at multiple levels of analysis: at the level single interactions, we examine how people use laughter, conversation, and synchrony to connect; at the level of social networks, we examine how people build ties to a community; and at the level of societies, we examine the social consequences of cultural diversity. I earned my PhD in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and did my postdoctoral work at Dartmouth College. My research is currently supported by an NSF CAREER Award and a Templeton Foundation grant. I am a proud Kansas Citian and lover of dogs, drawing and oil painting, and piano.