Jessie Carney
Department of Psychology
Oberlin College
Class of 2026
ABOUT
OSRI Research Fellow
I was selected for the Oberlin Summer Research Institute's 2025 cohort and spent my summer researching the relationship between altruistic behavior, perceived threat, and voting behavior.
Student Research Assistant
I worked in Dr. Rebecca Totton's lab research group for three semesters studying methods of reducing support for anti-transgender legislation
Assistant Preschool Teacher
As a practicum in psychology, I spent my last year at Oberlin College interning as an assistant preschool teacher at the Kendal Early Learning Center.
Observatory Assistant
I spent three and a half years working at the Taylor Observatory and Planetarium, teaching Oberlin community members and Astronomy 100 students how to navigate the night sky.
Psychology Major
Education Studies
Integrative Concentration
Minors in: Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies
Comparative American Studies Minor
Specializing in quantitative psychology research and early childhood education
Researcher
I joined Professor Rebecca Totton's social psychology research lab in the beginning of 2025 and have had the privilege of working on several of their academic projects.
I was also lucky enough to be nominated and selected for the 2025 cohort of the Oberlin Summer Research Institute. There, I conducted a study examining how symbolic and realistic threat impact people's willingness to engage in helpful behavior and their likelihood to vote in favor of anti-transgender legislation.
Educator
I have been lucky enough to spend much of my time at Oberlin assisting in the education of others.
As an Observatory Assistant, I have spent the past three years operating our on campus collection of telescopes, using them to teach Oberlin community members and Astronomy 100 students how to navigate the night sky.
At the Kendal Early Learning Center, I work as an Assistant Preschool Teacher in a class of 22 children, ages 2-5. I also lead learning sessions with our Grandfriends, a group of senior citizens living in the Kendal at Oberlin care home that surrounds the KELC, who come to do activities with the preschool students twice a week.
