Lauren Meaux, M.A. (she/her)
ltmeaux@crimson.ua.edu
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Lauren is a fifth year graduate student in the Psychology and Legal Decision Making lab and is completing her internship at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a native southern Louisianan and earned a B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Anthropology from Louisiana State University. Her undergraduate research focused on objective measures of negative symptoms of schizophrenia (i.e. acoustic and facial analysis software) and neuropsychological assessment.

​While Lauren is endlessly fascinated with every topic concerning forensic psychology that is presented to her, her current research interests include forensic mental health evaluation practices, legal decision-making, and biases within the criminal justice system. Her Master’s thesis was a mixed-methods study examining forensic evaluators’ endorsement of ideal and actual practices in mental state at time of offense (MSO) evaluations. Her career goals include working in academia mentoring, teaching, and conducting research aimed at increasing the reliability and validity of MSO evaluations. She also hopes to maintain a private practice conducting psycholegal evaluations for the court. Outside of academics, she enjoys cooking, watching trashy TV, traveling, and doing anything outdoors (e.g., hiking, farmer’s markets).

Liz Bownes, M.A. (she/her)
embownes@crimson.ua.edu

Hannah Lind, B.A. (she/her)
hlind@crimson.ua.edu
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Hannah is a fourth year graduate student in the Psychology and Legal Decision Making lab. Originally from Maplewood, New Jersey, Hannah completed her undergraduate education at Vassar College, graduating with a B.A. in Psychology in 2016. Hannah then worked for two years as a clinical research coordinator in the Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, studying the relationship between genes, cognition, and psychopathology. Although her research and clinical interests are numerous (and varied), these days Hannah is particularly interested in prosecutorial decision-making, forensic assessment, and issues related to child custody and parental rights. Her Master’s thesis examines the impact of confirmation bias on prosecutors’ evaluations of evidence and subsequent charge decisions.

Outside of her academic pursuits, Hannah enjoys singing along to musical theatre scores, talking about politics, and listing off the names and filmographies of all of the actors in that movie you’re watching. She is most comfortable (and can frequently be found) with a cup of coffee in her hand and a cat on her lap.

Liz MacNeil, B.A. (she/her)
emacneil@crimson.ua.edu​
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Liz is a third year student in the Psychology and Legal Decision Making lab. Liz graduated from Messiah College in 2015 with her B.A. in Psychology and minored in Business Administration. Prior to joining UA’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program, Liz was an investigative analyst for the Human Trafficking Response Unit at the New York County District Attorney’ Office. Liz is interested in researching gender role norms, sex work, human trafficking, psychopathy, and biases in the context of the legal system. Current research projects include understanding how individual differences (e.g., gender role attitudes, psychopathic traits) influence legal decision-making (e.g., how prosecutors proceed with cases, how defendants engage in plea negotiations). 

​Beyond the psychology department, is passionate about public policy and advocacy and enjoys planning events, hosting get-togethers, and making new friends. Other hobbies include reading fantasy fiction, indulging in all-things dark chocolate, and spending time outdoors.

Haylie Stewart, B.A. (she/her)
hstewart4@crimson.ua.edu

Haylie is a first year graduate student in the Psychology and Legal Decision Making Lab. Originally from Michigan, Haylie completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, graduating with a B.A. in psychology and drama in 2015. Haylie then worked for the University of Michigan and Veterans Health Administration for 5 years as a project manager in the psychiatry departments, coordinating projects related to substance use, pain, and suicide. Haylie is currently interested in researching suicide in forensic populations, as well as psychopathy, violent behaviors, and serious mental illness and the effect it has on involvement in the legal system. Current research includes investigating the effect gender plays on public policy decisions, understanding attorney and police officer opinions on domestic violence policy reform, evaluating competency education in forensic hospitals, and examining the relationship between psychopathic traits and belief in conspiracy theories.

In her free time, Haylie can be found hanging out at the dog park with her puppy, Hank, listening to any and every true crime podcast, engaging in all things related to musical theater, and working on products for her Etsy store.