Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Undergraduate Institution: Bowling Green State University

Advisor: Dr. Margaret Beier

Program: Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Bio:

Makai Ruffin graduated with her B.A. from Bowling Green State University in 2021. She is currently an Industrial-Organizational Psychology doctoral student at Rice University, working with Dr. Margaret Beier in the Adult Skills and Knowledge Lab. Her research interests broadly encompass the intersection between diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and lifelong learning, individual differences related to learning processes, and the effect of non-traditional learning environments on skill attainment. She has published work that has appeared in Work, Aging, and Retirement, Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, and The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology (ORE). In her spare time, you can find Makai at concerts (Houston is a popular tour spot for a lot of artists!)

Affinity group affiliations: BGSA

Fun fact:

I'm trying to attend every major music festival in the U.S.! I've been to Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo so far!

Favorite thing about Rice:

My favorite thing about Rice is the close-knit nature of the graduate students across all departments!

Favorite thing about Houston:

My favorite thing about Houston is the food culture!

Why did you decide to go to grad school?

I decided to go to graduate school because I fell in love with the research process. I wanted to be in an environment where I was given the flexibility to answer important questions that have an impact on education and workforce policies!