Sam is a second-year Master’s student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO), supervised by Dr. Maya Libben. She completed her Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology at UBCO in 2023, where her honours thesis used eye-tracking technology to examine body image and self-viewing behaviour on videoconferencing platforms.

Her Master’s research builds on this work by investigating how social anxiety influences attentional biases during social interactions on Zoom. More broadly, her research examines how digital environments shape self-perception, attention, and emotional well-being. Before beginning graduate studies, Sam worked in assessment services for children and youth with developmental and support needs and served as a research assistant in the PLAN Lab, contributing to projects examining body image, social cognition, and attentional processes. Outside of academics, Sam enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring BC, playing soccer, and searching for the best London fog Kelowna has to offer.