Joseph S. Mernyk 

Joe is a PhD student in the sociology department and a member of the PACS Polarization and Social Change Lab. His research focuses on developing social psychological interventions to increase public support for policies and programs that tackle pressing social issues such as economic inequality, racial division, and political animosity. Passionate about maximizing the real-world impact of his work, he collaborates with external organizations and practitioners to deploy these interventions in the field. Prior to graduate school, he earned his B.S. in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh before serving as a research coordinator for the Polarization and Social Change Lab.