Shifting patterns of work and social life are reshaping how we interact with people outside our close relationships, such as strangers, acquaintances, and coworkers. Yet, these often-overlooked interactions embed individuals within communities and organizations and may offer important benefits, from well-being to cooperation. What happens when these everyday connections become less frequent or poorer in quality? What can be gained by improving them? And how can organizations and communities preserve and strengthen the quality of interactions with strangers and weak ties amidst rapid social and technological change?

I study the benefits and barriers to positive interactions with strangers and weak ties, such as acquaintances and coworkers, and how improving these connections can advance individual, organizational, and societal flourishing.

I am a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology (PEP) Lab within the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience.

I currently serve as the Principal Investigator on a multi-country research project funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, which investigates whether and how improving social connection with strangers in everyday life promotes beliefs and behaviors conducive to fostering safe, inclusive, and flourishing communities.