Department of Psychology and Communication

Research Opportunities in Psychology and Communication

The Department of Psychology and Communication offers multiple research opportunities for students – from participating in independent journalism to learning how to measure the electrical activity in the brain, we’ve got something for everyone! Please review program-specific information below and contact faculty directly for current opportunities to get involved.

Psychology

Our Psychology faculty study a wide range of topics that help us better understand human behavior, decision-making, emotions, language, and relationships. Faculty-led research explores areas such as language development and bilingualism, personality and social development, evolutionary psychology and interpersonal attraction, attention, learning and forensic psychology.

Students have opportunities to work closely with faculty mentors in research labs, gaining hands-on experience in designing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting findings. Research projects often address questions that are especially relevant to our culturally rich border region while also contributing to broader scientific knowledge. Whether your interests are in cognition, language development or social behavior, there are opportunities to get involved and become part of the research community at TAMIU.

The Brain and Cognition Laboratory

The projects researched by Dr. Anna Cieślicka in the Brain and Cognition Laboratory focus on how bilingual brains accommodate two or more languages. We look at questions such as: How do we, bilinguals, code-switch between our two languages? How do we process emotions in our first and second language? How do we understand metaphors, idioms, and other forms of figurative language? How do our brains resolve ambiguity and how being bilingual affects the ability to multitask? We address these questions by measuring the EEG (electroencephalography) of the brain. Students can join the Lab by applying for the Research Assistantship through the LEARN program at the UG level, register in the UG Research class, or apply for Graduate Research Assistantship at the graduate level. Please contact Dr. Anna Cieślicka for more information: anna.cieslicka@tamiu.edu

Dr. Roberto Heredia

For information on research opportunities in Dr. Heredia’s lab, please visit: www.tamiu.edu/coas/psy/heredia

The BLEND Lab

The Bilingual Learning, Education, and Neural Development (BLEND) Lab at TAMIU is directed by Dr. Vanessa Rosales Cerda. The BLEND Lab is dedicated to conducting research on the brain basis of bilingual cognition and learning. The main focus of the lab is investigating the developmental trajectory of how bilingual brains learn and use educational concepts, including simple arithmetic, in both of their languages. For more information, please visit: www.tamiu.edu/coas/psy/lab/blend-lab.shtml

The Evolutionary Visual Lab

The Evolutionary Visual Lab conducts research on human mate preferences, female competition, parental investment, and eating behaviors. We investigate these research avenues using Natural/Sexual Selection Theory and Life-History Theory as fundamental theoretical frameworks. The lab is dedicated to using eye-tracking technology to investigate the cognitive processes involved in survival and reproductive relevant information. Students in the lab are heavily involved in the research process, which extends to creating and programming studies, running participants, disseminating research at conferences, and in publications. Students interested in joining the research lab should contact Dr. Ray Garza (ray.garza@tamiu.edu) for further information.

The Forensic Cognition and Justice Lab

Led by Dr. Kate A. Houston, the FCJL focuses on understanding human behavior within social, legal, and community contexts. The FCJL examines topics related to psychology and criminal justice, including decision-making, wrongful conviction, eyewitness memory, false confession, and investigative interviewing. Through research projects, students can gain experience in scientific inquiry, data collection and analysis, critical thinking, and the application of psychological science to real-world issues. Research projects in the FCJL emphasize both theory and practice, preparing students for graduate study and careers in psychology, criminal justice, and related fields. Please contact Dr. Kate A. Houston for more information: Kate.Houston@tamiu.edu

Research Opportunities within Counseling Psychology

Our counseling faculty provide students with opportunities to engage in research as part of their scientist-practitioner training model, which emphasizes both evidence-based practice and the development of analytical skills. Students can participate in the Research Portfolio, a flexible program that encourages involvement in counseling psychology research through faculty mentorship and collaborative intellectual exchange. Through coursework and research activities, students develop the ability to critically evaluate psychological research and apply findings to real-world counseling and community settings. Research experiences can be tailored to individual interests and completed over multiple years, allowing students to build a meaningful record of scholarly engagement alongside their professional training. These opportunities help students strengthen their research, critical thinking, and professional skills while preparing for advanced study, licensure, and careers in counseling and mental health services. Program faculty engage in research related to several areas with concentrations in trauma, and delivery of culturally and linguistically-appropriate services to U.S./Mexico border populations, as well as resilience and prevention science.

Please contact Program Director for the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, Dr. Ediza Garcia for more information: Ediza.Garcia@tamiu.edu

The Psychology Student Research Conference

Held annually, the Psychology Student Research Conference provides students with an opportunity to present and discuss their scholarly work in a professional academic setting. Students deliver oral presentations of original research, proposed studies, or ongoing projects and engage in question-and-answer discussions with faculty and peers. The conference encourages students to develop skills in research design, scientific communication, critical thinking, and the presentation of psychological research. Participants receive valuable experience sharing research findings, discussing theoretical and applied implications, and responding to professional feedback. Through this event, students showcase their scholarly achievements while strengthening the research and communication skills that support graduate study and professional development.

Communication

Our communication faculty offers students opportunities to engage in cutting-edge media and communication research across social-psychological, cybernetic, semiotic, socio-cultural, critical, and phenomenological traditions. Through faculty mentorship and collaborative inquiry, students can participate in a range of research projects in both experimental and natural settings. Research opportunities can be customized to align with students' academic interests and career aspirations, allowing them to build a meaningful record of scholarly engagement. Students have the opportunity to work with communication faculty members whose expertise spans diverse fields of communication scholarship, including Mexican Cinema and Latin American media studies (Dr. Jose Carlos Lozano), Organizational Communication and Health Communication (Dr. Ariadne Gonzalez), Artificial Intelligence, Journalism, and Human-Machine Communication (Dr. Bibo Lin), Artificial Intelligence and Political Communication (Dr. Shudipta Sharma), and Media Industries, Digital Platform, and East Asian Media Studies (Dr. Ju Oak Kim). By working closely with faculty members, students develop advanced analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills needed to become leaders in the constantly evolving fields of media and communication.

Bridge MPATH Lab

The Bridge MPATH Lab (Media Psychophysiology, Attention, Technology, and Human Well-Being) led by Dr. Di Mu (di.mu@tamiu.edu), explores the powerful connection between digital media and how our minds and bodies respond. Our research examines how people cognitively and emotionally process media content and interact with emerging technologies, as well as how communication strategies and media design shape the responses. Students can gain hands-on experience with research projects involving eye-tracking and measuring bodily responses using GSR, ECG, and fEMG. Our work spans areas such as health communication, strategic communication, and digital wellness. Together, we explore how media and technology can be used for social good to promote individual and societal well-being.

The Communication Student Research Conference

The Communication program hosts COMM Day events at both TAMIU and RELLIS campuses, creating dynamic opportunities for students to engage with faculty scholarship and showcase their own research projects developed through coursework and independent studies. The program continues to organize student research conferences that highlight exceptional undergraduate and graduate scholarship. These events provide a valuable platform for students to present their research findings, engage in scholarly discussion, and receive constructive feedback from faculty evaluators.

Hands-on Media Practice Opportunities within Communication

Bridge Media

Our Communication Faculty run two successful student-led journalism outlets, collectively housed within the Bridge Media brand. The Bridge and Dustynation magazine provide Texas A&M International University students with hands-on opportunities to develop skills in journalism, writing, editing, multimedia storytelling, and public communication by producing student-led publications.

The Bridge

The Bridge serves as the University's independent student newspaper, covering campus news, academics, features, arts, sports, opinion, and community issues, while providing students with practical experience in reporting and media production. The publications are created as part of students' academic and professional development, allowing them to apply classroom knowledge in real-world communication settings in online news, photography, social media, YouTube video, and Spotify podcasting. The Bridge is led by professors Thomas Brown and Analee Paz. For examples of work and to contact the Bridge Media team, please visit: www.thebridgestudentnews.com

Dustynation Magazine

Dustynation offers additional opportunities for long-form storytelling, feature writing, and creative content production through its periodic magazine issues. Together, these student-led media outlets provide valuable experiential learning experiences that strengthen research, communication, critical thinking, and professional portfolio development. Dustynation is led by professors Analee Paz and Thomas Brown. For examples of work and to contact the Bridge Media team, please visit: www.thebridgestudentnews.com/category/full-issues/dustynation-magazine

Film Festivals

The Communication program provides undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to showcase their filmmaking through two public film festivals.

Undergraduate Experiences

The Shoot to Kill Film Festival, held each fall and spring in the Student Center Theater, features final projects produced by students enrolled in production courses within the Media Production concentration of the Bachelor of Arts in Communication. Student filmmakers present their work to the public and participate in audience question-and-answer sessions

Graduate Experiences

At the graduate level, Cine de la Frontera showcases short documentaries produced by students enrolled in COMM 5313, Ethnography and Documentary Production in the Border Region, at the Alamo Drafthouse in Laredo. Last held in 2025, the screenings feature student films that are professionally prepared and exhibited in the Digital Cinema Package (DCP) format, the industry standard for theatrical exhibition. Graduate students also plan, promote, and moderate the event.

Both festivals are free and open to the public, providing students with professional exhibition experience while fostering community engagement through film. For more information on the student film festivals or undergraduate and undergraduate media production courses, please contact Professor Moran at amoran@tamiu.edu

How to Get Involved!

Please contact any of our program faculty to learn more about their current projects and opportunities for research assistants to join their programs.  www.tamiu.edu/coas/psy/pcfaculty.shtml

Need research credits?  No problem!  Our faculty run multiple studies on our University Research Portal:  Sona System.  Create an account using your TAMIU email address and log in to discover additional ways to take part in research:  tamiu.sona-systems.com