Meet the GGSC’s New Fellows for 2025-2026

October 29, 2025

The Greater Good Science Center is proud to present its 2025-26 class of distinguished Research Fellows, which includes excellent UC Berkeley students from the fields of psychology, education, public health, and beyond. They are an exceptional group of researchers committed to advancing the science of compassion, empathy, and well-being for the greater good.

The GGSC’s annual fellowship program supports the work of UC Berkeley students whose research explores the foundations of kindness, connection, and collective flourishing. The program attracts scholars from across a broad range of disciplines, with a particular focus on the social-behavioral sciences.

This year’s fellows are investigating topics such as how awe can bridge social divides, how storytelling and reflection shape empathy, and how community-based practices promote health and resilience. Read on to meet our newest fellows, and visit our fellowships page for more details about the program and summaries of past fellows’ work.

Graduate Fellows

Phuc (Nick) Nguyen

Nick Nguyen is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Science program at UC Berkeley. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Cal, Nick spent six years as a research specialist at WestCoast Children’s Clinic, where he used data to advocate for underrepresented and underserved communities. His current research focuses on understanding social drivers of health and promoting health equity. As a GGSC fellow, Nick aims to evaluate the use of infographic-based interventions to increase ADHD literacy, reduce stigma, and promote compassion and well-being.

Evan Orticio

Evan Orticio is a Ph.D. candidate in developmental psychology at UC Berkeley. Before graduate school, he earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and linguistics from Swarthmore College. His research examines how we form beliefs and learn from others across the lifespan. As a GGSC fellow, Evan will study how adolescents’ beliefs are influenced by social interactions in digital environments such as social media, with the goal of supporting digital literacy and resilience to misinformation.

Irene Franco Rubio

Irene Franco Rubio is a doctoral student in the Department of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley, pursuing Designated Emphases in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies and New Media. A first-generation scholar-activist from Phoenix, Arizona, Irene’s work explores multiracial coalition-building, grassroots resistance, and social movement histories in the U.S. Southwest. As a GGSC fellow, she will investigate how cross-racial solidarity contributes to social well-being, particularly within community organizing efforts responding to racialized state violence.

Larissa Benjamin

Larissa Benjamin is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. She earned her BS from the University of Michigan and her MPH from UC Berkeley, and previously worked on equity-centered research projects within public health. Larissa’s research examines how historical and structural factors shape cardiovascular health in rural Southeastern communities. As a GGSC fellow, she will study how rural leaders in Alabama use community-led efforts and local knowledge to promote neighborhood well-being and address historical disinvestment.

Young Joo Jun

Young Joo Jun is a doctoral student in Behavioral Marketing at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. She holds a B.S. in Business and Technology Management from KAIST and an M.A. in Social Psychology from Seoul National University. Her research explores how people form impressions of others based on decision-making and resource use. As a GGSC fellow, Young Joo will examine how perceptions of time versus money constraints shape expectations of generosity and influence evaluations of others in prosocial contexts.

Henry Sales Hernández

Henry Leonel Sales Hernández is an Indigenous Maya Mam educator, researcher, and doctoral student in UC Berkeley’s School of Education. Born in San Juan Atitán, Guatemala, and now based in Oakland, Henry’s work centers on language revitalization and educational equity. As a GGSC fellow, he will explore how early literacy and storytelling practices among Mam children and youth foster emotional connection, cultural affirmation, and language development. Through classroom observations and interviews, his research highlights how storytelling strengthens relationships and belonging in Mam communities.

Yang Sarah

Originally from Taiwan, Chun-Chi (Sarah) Yang is a second-year Ph.D. student in the School Psychology program at the Berkeley School of Education. Before coming to Berkeley, she spent 20 years teaching English at public high schools, developing a deep commitment to adolescent mental health. As a GGSC fellow, she will examine how stress and digital media use interact to influence the social well-being of Chinese American adolescents, with the goal of informing culturally responsive, school-based interventions that support mental and social health.

Undergraduate Fellows

Zhuoya Wang

Zhuoya Wang is a junior undergraduate at UC Berkeley majoring in Psychology and Statistics. She is a research assistant in the Haas Intersectionality, Group Hierarchy, Emotions Research (HIGHER) Lab. Zhuoya’s research interests center on prosocial emotions—such as empathy—and the transformative power of art. Outside of research, she serves in student government and facilitates a baking DeCal. As a GGSC fellow, Zhuoya will study how awe reduces social categorization by helping people feel part of a greater collective, ultimately bridging empathy between ingroup and outgroup members.

Gregory Thomas La Londe

Greg La Londe V is a senior undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Philosophy and Cognitive Science. He works as a research assistant in the Berkeley Social Interactions Lab under the guidance of Lou Deringer and Dacher Keltner. Greg’s research explores how memory, storytelling, and AI shape emotion and prosocial behavior. As a GGSC fellow, he will investigate the emotional and prosocial benefits of journaling, examining how preserving and revisiting one’s life stories can strengthen empathy and well-being through narrative reflection.