People

Group and Interpersonal
Communication Research Lab at Cornell

Lab Faculty

Poppy L. McLeod, Ph.D. is a Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Communication. Her research interests focus on group task performance in immersive virtual environments, the role of emotions, identity and language in intergroup communication, and social influence, the development of teamwork skills, and decision-making within task groups. Her teaching includes: introduction to communication; communication, decision-making and theory in small groups; graduate research methods; and leadership development. Poppy earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Social Psychology from Harvard University, and her B.S. in Psychology from Syracuse University.

Students

Dominique Agnew is a sophomore studying Environmental and Sustainability Sciences and pursuing two minors in Global Health and Inequality Studies. She is from Saint Augustine, Florida and this is her second semester in the lab. Dominique is excited to further her knowledge on conducting and analyzing research..

Sophie Cook Junior Communication Major and Business minor. She has been in the GRIP lab since her freshman year and has worked on projects involving avatar mediated negotiation and student teams. She is particularly interested in teamwork and how individual traits affect team dynamics.

Cordelia Ding is a senior majoring in communication and minoring in information science in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at Cornell University. She is originally from New York but grew up in Bangkok, Thailand. This will be her fifth semester in the lab, and she is very excited to continue to participate in the research experience. She is especially interested in studying conflict in groups and group communication, as she has been involved in many different group environments including sports teams and clubs, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, and other various groups with differing dynamics. The GRIP Lab has been nothing short of a spectacular experience for Cordelia, and she is very much excited to return to the lab for her last year at Cornell, and to continue learning from and with everyone! Fun fact: Cordelia and her fellow lab partner, Yutong, presented the lab’s research at the 68th Annual ICA Conference in Prague this past summer!

Karen Felix is junior majoring Communication concentrating in Social Influence. This will be her first semester participating in the Group and Interpersonal Communication Research Lab. She is looking forward to learning about group communication and working alongside Professor McLeod and other students!

Levi Orenstein-Wolf is a junior majoring in Industrial and Labor Relations. This is his third semester doing research, and he is excited to work on various topics within communications throughout his time in the lab. He is very much intrigued by the study of conflict, including specific topics like negotiation, bias, and polarization within and among groups.

Julian Robison is a junior majoring in Communication and minoring in Business and Theatre. This is his first semester as a research assistant after working in the lab over the summer. He is the Layout Editor for the Cornell Daily Sun and can be seen on stage this fall in The Awakening of Spring at the Schwartz Center.

Jessie Yee is a sophomore majoring in Information Science and interested in studying Communication, Film, and Business as minors. She is particularly excited to learn more about communication in relation to technology through this opportunity. This is her first semester working in the lab and she is looking forward to working with the research team.

Yutong Wu is a Junior from China, majoring Communication and intending to double major in Information Science. This is her second year working in the Group and Interpersonal Communication Research Lab. She is looking forward to assisting in Professor McLeod's research lab and working with the team of dedicated and energetic students.

Kylie Youk is a junior from Seoul, Korea, majoring in Communication and double minoring in Business and Law. This is her first time in Professor McLeod’s lab and is excited to join a faculty of passionate students with a common interest in group functions. She aims to do research related to intergroup dynamics and social identity effects this semester. She is particularly interested in the differences and similarities between different ethnic and racial groups across Cornell. Outside of the lab, she serves as the Vice President of Finance in Class Councils and is the Chief Operating Director at Startup Grind. Her hobbies include playing badminton and rock climbing.