Director - Media & Migration Lab

The Media & Migration Lab is directed by Dr. Chrysalis Wright, a Senior Lecturer in the Psychology department at UCF. Dr. Wright is an award-winning faculty member, having won several awards for undergraduate teaching and involvement in undergraduate research. Awards include:

Presidential Citation for Contributions and Service to Media Psychology & Technology (2022)
Champion of Undergraduate Research Faculty Award (2022)
Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Media Psychology and Technology (2021)
Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion award (2018)
Teaching Incentive Program award (2017, 2022)
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching award (2017)
APA Achievement Award for Early Career Psychologists (2017)
Distinguished Early Career Professional Contributions to Media Psychology & Technology (2017)

Dr. Wright is very involved in her field at the national level, having held various leadership roles such as:

Member at Large, Board of Directors, Communications Coordination Committee for the United Nations (2020-2023)
Membership and Governance Outreach Representative for the Committee on Early Career Psychologists (CECP) of the American Psychological Association (2018-2020)
Program Chair for the CECP (2019, 2020)
Secretary for Division 46 of the APA (2017-2022)
Membership Committee Chair for Division 46 of the APA (2018-2020)
Ethics Committee Chair for Division 46 of the APA (2020)
Member of the Strategic Planning Committee of Division 46 of the APA (2020)
Chair for the Division 46 Task Force on the Sexualization of Popular Music (2016-2022)

Dr. Wright is an advocate for undergraduate education and research at the University of Central Florida and is the department’s Honors Undergraduate Thesis Liaison (2016-current).

Previously, Dr. Wright held the following roles at the University of Central Florida

University Honors Committee of the Faculty Senate: Member (2015-2019)
Judge: Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence (2013, 2016, 2017)

Dr. Wright’s research interests include social, media and technological influences in development and behavior, sexualization, objectification, and sexism as well as racial/ethnic stereotypes and prejudice. Dr. Wright has also conducted research on topics such as immigration and acculturation, academic achievement, and relationship formation behaviors. All of these research topics are included as a part of the MM Lab.

Dr. Wright enjoys teaching large lecture classes and online classes. She primarily teaches General Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, and Research Methodology courses in Psychology (Statistical Methods in Psychology, Research Methods, & Psychological Testing). She also enjoys teaching the Psychology of Diversity and the Psychology of Women.