Jessie joined the UConn HDFS masters program in Fall 2022. She previously earned her bachelor’s in HDFS from UConn in May 2022.
As an undergraduate student, Jessie declared her major after taking HDFS 1060 with Dr. Kari Adamsons, who later connected her to her current advisor. Jessie began working with Dr. Rebecca Puhl on her undergraduate honors thesis after expressing an interest in weight stigma and body image. Her thesis used novel quantitative research assessing self-reported retrospective recall of body image, social media usage, exercise behaviors, and eating behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper is currently under review for publication. This research experience, partnered with Jessie’s love for UConn’s HDFS program, inspired Jessie to pursue her masters in HDFS. Jessie is currently working on her master’s thesis project with Dr. Puhl to examine how being in a romantic partnership is related to weight bias internalization among individuals of higher weight currently engaged in weight loss efforts.
In Jessie’s spare time, she loves to read mystery and fiction books, alpine ski, and run with her roommate. She is also employed with UC Cafes and can usually be found at Crossroads or Bookworms in between classes.