Yuanyuan (Sunny) Zhang is an HDFS PhD candidate on track to complete her degree in August 2026. She began her academic journey studying applied psychology at both the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels in China. During her last year of college, while navigating academic stress, she first encountered mindfulness — and the experience left a lasting impression of relaxation, joy, and self-care. During her Master’s program, she went on to lead mindfulness groups for participants of all ages, from elementary school children to older adults. Over time, she came to a simple realization: mindfulness and research didn’t just create change for others — they gave her own life a sense of meaning and purpose. That conviction carried her into doctoral study.
At UConn, Yuanyuan works under the guidance of Dr. Beth Russell. Currently for her dissertation she is collaborating with Dr. Russell and Sihui Lyu on a culturally tailored mindfulness and yoga intervention designed specifically for Chinese international students. The study is a four-week, two-arm randomized controlled trial aiming to reduce acculturative stress and improve mental health, emotional well-being, and executive functioning. The team has already enrolled over 40 participants, with recruitment still underway. Alongside her intervention work, Yuanyuan has a strong interest in evidence synthesis. Her first dissertation paper is a systematic review and meta-analysis on mindfulness-based interventions and executive functioning among emerging adults aged 18–25. She found a significant moderate overall effect of mindfulness on executive functioning, with particularly promising results for inhibition and updating. Beyond research, Yuanyuan is passionate about teaching. She has been the instructor for Adulthood & Aging (HDFS 2200) for the past two semesters — an experience shaped by the thoughtful mentorship of Dr. Candi Nwakasi, whose guidance on teaching style and classroom management has meant a great deal to her.
Looking ahead, Yuanyuan plans to keep building on her work in mindfulness intervention and meta-analysis. She hopes to develop programs that support college students navigating the school-to-work transition, with a focus on work-life balance, and to conduct larger-scale meta-analyses of mindfulness RCTs. She is currently exploring postdoctoral opportunities and looking forward to what comes next.
Outside of her academic life, Yuanyuan enjoys meditation, baking, painting, and making handmade crafts.