Socrates Café

Fabiana Memmolo is a positive psychology coach and researcher helping individuals and organizations flourish through leadership development, executive coaching, and well-being science, with 15+ years of global experience. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Positive Organizational Psychology at Claremont Graduate University.

Zach and Akshay talk about what matters most in life

Delia and Zach discuss what matters most in life.

Dr. Stewart Donaldson is a distinguished university professor of Psychology and Evaluation, Executive Director of the Claremont Evaluation Center (CEC) and The Evaluator's Institute (TEI), and Director of the Leader and Organizational Vitality (LOV) Lab. He is also a research and evaluation pioneer in the field of positive psychology and founder of the PERMA+4 framework of flourishing.Zach and Stewart discuss PERMA +4 and the state of positive psychology.https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewart-i-donaldson-1704538a/Find his new book Flow 2.0 here: https://a.co/d/cjwOHMd

Katja is a second year PhD student in Information Systems and Technology at CGU, a researcher, and the current President of CGU Student Senate. Zach and Katja talk about the importance of service, community, and involvement, especially during college journeys. Follow Katja's journey (Katja Crusius | LinkedIn) and reach out to student senate ([email protected]) to see how you can get involved!

Aaron Robbins is President and Co-Founder of Intrinsic First, LLC, where he provides leadership and DoD engineering services. He also launched ProACTr, an AI leadership simulator. Aaron is pursuing a PhD in Organizational Behavior Psychology and holds multiple certifications in project management and engineering.

Maddie Painter is a Marketing professional living in Nashville, TN. Zach and Maddie discuss their passions and goals and life, keys to a healthy relationship, and some philosophical teasers!Check out Maddie's LinkedIn: Madeline (Maddie) Painter | LinkedIn

Nhat Le is a graduate student at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and a dedicated member of the Adolescent Moral Development Lab. A lifelong learner with an insatiable curiosity (and, admittedly, a bit of a "giant nerd"), Nhat brings a unique perspective to the field of psychology, complemented by a sharp sense of humor. Their primary focus lies in Positive Psychology, where they are investigating the trajectory of human development towards greater complexity. Nhat's research explores whether this growth continues indefinitely, along with its potential benefits and costs, and examines how constructs like purpose within Positive Psychology can promote this developmental path.

Paul Settles is the Head Men’s Tennis Coach and Associate Professor of Physical Education at Claremont McKenna College, specializing in leadership studies. A competitive athlete and former professional tennis tour player services director, he has worked with elite athletes, exploring the intersection of sports, leadership, and grit to cultivate high-performance mindsets. In his current role he has led the CMS Tennis program to an outstanding 513-103 record. In this episode, we discuss his journey through sports and what it takes to succeed as an athlete and in life. https://cmsathletics.org/staff-directory/paul-settles/108

Breanna Sampo is a second-year PhD student at Claremont Graduate University studying Positive Developmental Psychology. She is a member of the Adolescent Moral Development Lab, under the direction of Dr. Kendall Cotton Bronk, working on projects that explore how to help youth develop their purpose in life. Breanna is passionate about sharing kindness with the world and improving the chances of flourishing for all people.

Song Xue is a graduate student in Positive Organizational Psychology at Claremont Graduate University. Throughout his twenties, he explored career paths from hospitality to tutoring and from personal finance to tech sales. Now, he studies the concept of calling and hopes to help individuals discover deeper meaning and purpose in their work.

John received a B.S. in Marketing and Commercial Graphics in 2021 and a DTh from Oxford in 2023. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Positive Developmental Psychology at Claremont Graduate University. John aims to leverage his interdisciplinary background to explore the benefits and applications of curiosity. His research also delves into the concept of meaning and its role in successfully navigating the human experience. In this episode, we discuss John's journey through theology and psychology while exploring his newfound interest in studying curiosity.

Steffanie Guillermo is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Pitzer College. She teaches courses such as Social Psychology, Psychological Statistics, and Stereotyping & Prejudice. Her research examines the social cognitive mechanisms underlying racial/ethnic bias. In this episode, Steffanie and I break down the field of social psychology and discuss some of our favorite topics, such as influence and persuasion, stereotyping and heuristics, and combatting negativity biases.

Becky Reichard, PhD, is a Full Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at Claremont Graduate University, where she directs LeAD Labs – a non-profit consulting group focusing on developing diverse leaders through evidence-based practice. Dr. Reichard is currently accepting doctoral students and other collaborators with a passion for studying the psychological mechanisms and organizational systems that elevate aspiring diverse leaders. https://www.linkedin.com/in/breichard/ Kayla K. Parker is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Organizational Behavior program at Claremont Graduate University. Her research is concentrated on how leader identity development functions differently for minority leaders, such as Black women, and deconstructing existing leader development theories from the perspective of an aspiring minority leader. Learn more about LEAD Labs: https://research.cgu.edu/lead-labs/ Read their new publication here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4699721

Eli Waxler is a fourth-year doctoral student in Positive Developmental Psychology with research interests in positive identity development, flow, passion, human flourishing, and applied positive psychology. Working alongside Dr. Jeanne Nakamura, Eli is the current Lab Manager of the Quality of Life Research Center. Outside of CGU, Eli is the Research and Resource Manager for the Sports Performance Knowledge Network. In his spare time, he loves to go to concerts and spend time with his dog Bella.

Vaishnavi Mansabdar is an international student in her fourth year pursuing a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) at Claremont Graduate University. Her research focuses on advanced public health policy and management, particularly in oncology policy analysis, driven by a passion for contributing to evidence-based solutions in public health as well as evidence-based community wellness. Currently, she serves as a Senior Research & Development Associate at Parents Anonymous Inc, where she curates the CALMHSA certification course for peer support training. Feel free to connect with Vaishnavi through her LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaishnavi-mansabdar/) Additionally, Vaishnavi is simultaneously advancing her skills in Indian Classical Dance, specializing in Bharatnatyam, through certifications in advanced choreography and teaching training.

Jared Hales is the Producer of Socrates Cafe and a second-year master's student in Positive Developmental Psychology. He enjoys friendship, faith, and animals. Natalie Alkire is the Social Media and Marketing Manager of the Claremont Positive Media Network. She has an MA in Economics and BA in Marketing. She is looking to begin a career doing marketing analytics. In this episode we discuss hobbies, school, and what it means to be a good person.

Ciara Hernandez is a PhD student in Social Psychology at Claremont Graduate University. She manages the Social Identity Lab under Dr. Mike Hogg and serves as an officer for the Psi Chi Honors Society, representing the Social Psychology subdiscipline. Her research primarily explores intergroup conflict, political identities, and international conflict paradigms.

Max Ginsberg is a Positive Psychologist specializing in Flow State Consciousness, with a focus on enhancing well-being and exploring purpose. His work bridges the gap between scientific research and creative expression. In addition to his academic pursuits, Ginsberg is a skilled artist, working in mediums such as 3D modeling, 3D printing, and painting. To explore his past works and learn more about his contributions, visit his website: MFGinseng.com.

Heidi J. Kellam teaches in the psychology department at Cal State Fullerton, facilitates mindfulness meditation groups, and writes narrative non-fiction. Explore some of her material at https://kellam.substack.com and find her LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/heidijkellam.

Ro Lee, Esq. serves as an Associate Director of Career and Professional Development at CGU and is the Prelaw Advisor at Pitzer College. Has held professor positions at Pepperdine’s School of Law, Rio Hondo College, UC Riverside Extension, and Korea University, and has a background in the legal field. To learn about Ro and connect with him, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowlee/.

Rebecca Donaldson is a PhD student in Positive Developmental Psychology at Claremont Graduate University and a member of the Quality of Life Research Center. She is a speech-language pathologist and an adjunct professor at Loma Linda University in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Her current research explores the daily lives of adults who stutter using the experience sampling method (ESM). A Mad activist and poet, she encourages a depathologizing approach to supporting the well-being of all human beings, free of epistemic injustice and coercion.

Robert Klitgaard is a Professor at Claremont Graduate University. Formerly the Dean of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and a professor at Harvard and Yale, his fifteen books include Tropical Gangsters, named one of the New York Times’ Books of the Century. In this episode we explore the life of travel, adventure, and service. Hear more about partnerships, corruption, and navigating wisdom in a troubled world. Learn more about Bob's work through his website: https://robertklitgaard.com/

Heather Sundell-Reed is a writer, freelance editor, and student of positive organizational psychology. In this episode, we discuss wellness in the workplace, focusing on the role of curiosity, relationships, and leadership. To learn more about Heather, explore her Website, Substack, and LinkedIn: MissHezah – Writer. Storyteller. Copywriter. https://substack.com/@misshezah https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersundell/

Get excited about our new project, opening a discourse on positive psychology, philosophy, and all things worth discussing.