My primary area of research focuses on racial health disparities and investigating how psychosocial and contextual stressors can affect both mental and physical health outcomes for marginalized populations, with an emphasis on Black American populations. My research focuses on utilizing novel techniques to examine stress biomarkers and physiological dysregulation linking psychosocial stressors with health and health behavior. I aim to implement innovative, interdisciplinary, and integrative approaches to the study of psychosocial stressors and health disparities in order to inform prevention-oriented interventions among disenfranchised populations.

Of note: Dr. Carter will be reviewing applications for a new graduate student for Fall 2026 admission.

Dr. Richards will be reviewing applications for new graduate students for Fall 2026 admission. 

I am a health psychologist whose research focuses on why people engage in health-promoting behaviors, particularly behaviors that reduce the potential harms of alcohol, cannabis, and other drug use. I have an early career development award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to study the motivational processes of recovery from alcohol use disorder during and after participation in Dry January and Sober October. Recent interests include "natural" health behavior change (e.g., New Year's resolutions), multiple health behavior change, and alcohol-related risk for chronic disease (e.g., cancer). 

Dr. Herzberg is recruiting graduate students this year, to begin Ph.D. studies in Fall 2026.

Dr. Max Herzberg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia, beginning in the Fall of 2025. He is a developmental cognitive neuroscientist interested in the impact of stressful environments on the developing brain and subsequent adaptive and maladaptive behavioral outcomes. Dr. Herzberg received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota in 2020, working under the mentorship of Drs. Kathleen Thomas and Megan Gunnar. He completed a T32 funded postdoctoral research fellowship with Drs. Deanna Barch and Joan Luby in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Jessica Flannery is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Georgia and the Director of the Brain and Behavior Dynamics Laboratory. Her research merges functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with ecological behavior tracking to investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the development and progression of substance use and other health-related behaviors. After earning her Bachelors degree in Psychology at Grinnell College and her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at Florida International University, she completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In 2025, Jessica became faculty at UGA.

Jessica is recruiting graduate students this year to join her lab in Fall 2026.

I am a first-year doctoral student in I/O Psychology at UGA. My fascination with organizational behavior began during my first psychology lab experience, where I realized how seemingly small misunderstandings—such as a manager’s offhand comment—could escalate into toxic workplace dynamics. This sparked my commitment to using research to give voice to unspoken struggles, especially those faced by marginalized groups. My research focuses on understanding and improving workplace dynamics, with particular emphasis on fostering fairness and employee well-being. My past work has explored how stressors, gender norms, and organizational practices influence behavior—from job-related strain to newcomers’ adaptation to workplace challenges. I am dedicated to generating findings that help organizations create environments where individuals can thrive.