Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences

Senior Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs

Leslie Fernandez

Leslie is a third-year Ph.D. student from Kerman, California. In May 2022, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with Departmental Honors as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar with a B.A. in Psychology. She was selected as the Outstanding Undergraduate Psychology Student and was the department’s nominee for the Dean’s Medal at California State University, Fresno. Her research interests include decision-making, risk-taking, meta-analyses, and interpersonal relationships. Her goals are to return to California’s Central Valley to teach and conduct research at the university level. Additionally, Leslie is a recipient of the Aviles-Johnson Doctoral Fellowship at Texas A&M University.

Nabeel Bhimani

Nabeel is the lab manager for the Emotion Science Laboratory from Muskego, Wisconsin. Before starting, he served as a Research Assistant in an EEG lab throughout his undergraduate career and earned Research Honors on a year-long senior thesis. In May 2025, he graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience. His research interests include affective science, decision-making, problem solving, and moral psychology.

Katie Mendoza

Katie is a management major, minoring in psychology and neuroscience from Austin, Texas. She joined the lab in Fall 2024 because of her interest in how emotions affect behaviors in the workplace. Additionally, she is part of the Business Honors program, the Winnie Carter Wildlife Center, and chair of MSC Spencer. She also served as a group leader in MSC ALOT. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school for either Industrial Organizational psychology or Management to become a professor.

Sofia Zegaib

Sofia Zegaib is a psychology major with a neuroscience minor from McAllen, Texas. She joined the Emotion Science Lab in Fall 2024 to explore how Dr. Heather Lench’s research on the functions of emotion can inform our understanding of mental health and psychological wellbeing. Sofia is particularly interested in how emotions help people navigate challenges and shape adaptive behavior. She also works as a peer mentor for Aggie Peer Connect, where she supports student mental health and wellbeing through outreach and peer support. Outside of the lab, she is involved in Aggie Achievemates and Kappa Kappa Gamma. After graduation, she plans to pursue an MSW (Master of Social Work) and continue working in the field of mental health. 

Rachel Stroup

Rachel is a psychology major and neuroscience minor from Flower Mound, Texas. She joined the lab in Spring 2025 because of her interest in how emotions affect behavior and cognitive processing. Additionally, she is involved in the Psychological and Brain Sciences honors program and is a team member of Aggie Classics. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school to become a clinical psychologist.

Carron Dempster

Carron is a psychology major, minoring in communications from Cypress, Texas. She joined the Emotion Science Lab in Fall 2025 to further learn how emotions affect how we behave in our daily lives. Carron is especially interested in how emotions and mental health vary depending on a person’s environment and social situation. Additionally, she is involved and working with the Aggie Research Program and hopes to explore many more opportunities within the psychological field. After graduation, she plans to attend and pursue graduate school to further expand her knowledge and experience.