Dr. Volpert-Esmond comes to UTEP with a research background in psychological and physiological stressors caused by experiences of discrimination, and early perceptual processes that are involved in the judgement of race or gender when looking at a person’s face. Dr. Volpert-Esmond earned her doctoral and master’s degree in personality and social psychology from the University of Missouri (Mizzou), where she was recognized with the Life Sciences Doctoral Fellowship. During her time in graduate school, Dr. Volpert-Esmond taught undergraduate honors courses in social cognitive neuroscience, providing her with the opportunity to mentor a number of undergraduate research assistants – many who have gone on to competitive graduate programs. In 2018, she received a National Research Service Award (NRSA) to fund her research from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. She is a member of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Society for Psychophysiological Research, and the Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues.