Faculty
Dr. Valerie Sims
Research interests: Individual differences in spatial ability, human interactions with non human entities including robots and animals, natural disasters, beach safety, role of cognition in naturalistic settings
Dr. Matthew Chin
Research interests: intergroup discrimination, social identity, human-animal interaction, and human-robot interaction
Graduate Students
Lizzie is a doctoral candidate in the Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology PhD program at the University of Central Florida. She received her Associate’s degree in Applied Computer Technology (2018), Bachelor’s in Human-Centered Computing (2020), and Master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (2022) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Her research interests include UI and UX design, humans’ behavior with technology as individuals within their many and varied social contexts, and accessibility/inclusive designs. Lizzie has a background in front-end development and has worked on research projects as both a researcher and developer.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-codick10298/
Sahara Brodsky is a doctoral candidate in the Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology PhD program at the University of Central Florida. She received her Master’s degree in Religious Studies from the University of South Florida in 2024, her Master’s degree in Experimental Psychology from The Catholic University of America in 2020, and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2017. Her research interests include how individual differences affect how people interact with technology.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahara-brodsky-8b96291aa
Olivia is a first-year student in the Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology PhD program at University of Central Florida. She received her Bachelor’s in 2026 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Cognitive Science at UCF. Her research interests include anthropomorphism, Human-Robot interaction, and Human-Drone interaction.
Affiliated Members
Cai Li is continuing her undergraduate research in the ACAT lab with Dr. Sims. Currently, she is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology Master’s program on the Applied Pre-Licensure/Non-Thesis Track at the University of Central Florida. She received her Bachelor’s in 2026 with a major in Psychology and plans to pursue a Clinical Psychology PhD in the future. Her research interests include adoption, Asian Americans, and implicit racial perceptions.
Undergraduate Lab Manager
Bianca acts as the undergraduate lab manager for the ACAT lab. She is senior and is pursing a double major in Clinical Psychology and Sport and Exercise Psychology. Her interests include visio-cognitive aspects of sports, perceived performance quality, and cognitive aspects of motor behavior.
Undergraduate Members
Nathanael Atchison
John Anderson
Eytan Bierman
Haleigh Daniels
William Dietz
Lina Fitzhugh
Zoe Fjeseth
Kate Fracker
Rowan Greelish
Zackery Hilton
Avital Horowitz
Daniel Hubner
Isa Iannello
Bianca Jaramillo
Gabriela Jimenez
Logan Mattingly
Isabella Miller
Samantha Molina Arrias
Nafisaba Nazmul
Victoria Rocha
Ava Rex
Gianna Schultz
Bree Stockton
Zane Zolnowski
*Last updated October 2026*