Riana received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from New York University (NYU) and her B.S. in Psychology and International Studies from the University of Miami. Before NYU, she lived in Amsterdam where she served as a Fulbright Fellow and received her M.S. in Social Psychology Research from the Vrije University Amsterdam. Her research focuses broadly on how people respond to social problems (e.g., social inequality, climate change). She is interested in understanding the ways people seek to address and mitigate social problems and social injustices and the many psychological barriers in addressing them. Riana’s current projects focus on the ways we can communicate about social issues to see how that may impact support for social change.

Awards, Honors and Recognition

2024: Dissertation Award Finalist, Society of Experimental Social Psychology (SESP) 
2023: Douglas H. and Katharine Fryer Thesis Award for Best Doctoral Thesis, New York University ($2,000)
2022-2023: Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship, New York University ($30,238)
2022: Ted Coons Graduate Student Travel Award, New York University ($1,000)
2021, 2022: Dean's Conference Fund Award, New York University ($500, $500)
2020: Friends of Katzell Fellowship for Applied Research, New York University ($1,500)
2019: APS RISE Research Award Honorable Mention
2019: Graduate Travel Award, Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) 
2017-2022: Henry M. MacCracken Fellowship, New York University
2017-2022: Dean’s Fellowship Program, New York University
2015-2016: VU Fellowship Program for Academic Excellence, Vrije University
2014-2015: Fulbright Student Scholarship to the Netherlands, U.S. Department of State
2014: Louis P. Mills Award for Service, Miami Women’s Commission