JACK BAUER | THE TRANSFORMATIVE SELF
How stories foster flourishing
THE TEAM
JACK BAUER
Jack Bauer, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and past Raymond A. Roesch, S.M., Endowed Chair in the Social Sciences at the University of Dayton. His courses and research focus on the development of self-identity and personality, with an emphasis on life stories, meaning-making, growth motivation, and humane flourishing.
His recent book, The Transformative Self: Personal Growth, Narrative Identity, and the Good Life (2021, Oxford University Press), explains how personal and cultural stories cultivate as well as thwart human flourishing for the self and others. He is co-editor of the book Transcending Self-Interest: Psychological Explorations of the Quiet Ego (2008, American Psychological Association), which examines the problems of egotism and the ways and benefits of transcending it.
He has served as co-editor of the Journal of Happiness Studies, associate editor of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and co-editor of the special issue on "Storying the Good Life" at the Journal of Research in Personality. After college he was the editor of a newspaper in northern Michigan.
CINTIA KIRJAK
Cintia Kirjak is a senior at the University of Dayton, majoring in psychology.
In her words: "I am interested in social psychology, personality psychology and behavioral psychology. I was drawn to this lab because I am interested in how people interpret growth and flourishing in life. I strive to help people mentally to interpret life in a meaningful and positive way to help facilitate growth and production in their lives. My goal is to go to graduate school, get my PhD, and become an industrial/organizational psychologist!"
SOPHIA DIXON
Sophia Dixon is a junior at the University of Dayton, majoring in psychology.
In her words: "I am fascinated by human development and the effects of personal experience on personality. I was interested in this lab because it aligns with my research and professional aspirations. I enjoy coding narratives for personal growth and gaining insight into the defining moments in individuals' lives. I feel this experience is valuable in understanding the complex factors that make up personality and overall life trajectory. I appreciate the themes of flourishing, happiness, love, and growth within the lab and seek to apply these values to my own life. Looking forward, I plan to continue to participate in research and excel in my coursework. I want to receive my doctorate in clinical psychology after I graduate in hopes of making a difference in vulnerable populations. I am excited about my future in this lab and where it leads me."
MORGAN RAMSEY
Morgan Ramsey is a senior at the University of Dayton, majoring in psychology and minoring in criminal justice studies.
Morgan is co-chair of the student government’s mental health committee and plans to work at her county’s mental health center after college. She then plans to attend grad school for a MSW. In her words: "Before this lab, I had experience working with a suicide prevention campaign that gathered/shared personal narratives as a means of mental health advocacy. I have always been very passionate about mental health advocacy and suicide prevention, and when I was first introduced to the idea of sharing narratives to reduce mental health stigma I was immediately on board. Transitioning from working with such a niche category of narratives into this lab where we work with all narratives across the board has been nothing short of fascinating. I love reading these narratives and seeing how each story fits together to form an identity. I also have really appreciated the conversations I have been able to have around balancing growth and acceptance. It's all so fascinating."
And some lab members who graduated recently...
CAITIE MASTERS
Caitie Masters graduated from the University of Dayton, majoring in premedicine and minoring in psychology.
In her words: "I am a current senior pre medicine student pursuing a psychology minor with aspirations to be a personality professor. I joined this lab because I am truly fascinated by the concepts of the transformative self and the quiet ego. The connections between biopsychology and the Big Five intrigue me, and I truly relish embracing the differences between each unique person. Studying life narratives allows me to not only comprehend other cultures and people better, but also incorporate these ideas into my own story."
SARAH MOONEY
Sarah Mooney graduated from the University of Dayton, majoring in psychology and minoring in social work, and the student manager of The Transformative Self Lab. She is currently the Psychology 101 Teaching Assistant. She is specifically interested in social work, counseling, personality, and social psychology.
In her words: "I plan to receive a master's degree in social work and to become a mental health counselor in the future, and I think that doing research in this lab is a great step on my journey to understanding others, their life stories, and how they choose to talk about defining moments in their lives. It is a fascinating and insightful task to code for themes of growth in these narratives and even take a step back to look for meaningful moments and relationships in my own personal narrative. I am excited to use this experience to help my clients recognize growth and meaning in the stories they tell me one day. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends, family, and cats. I also enjoy skiing and hiking."
HANNAH BEAN
Hannah Bean graduated from the University of Dayton, majoring in psychology. She is interested in clinical psych, health psych, personality psych, criminal psych, and psychopathology.
In her words: "I was intrigued with reading and analyzing people's life stories back when I was a freshman. I feel as though, as a psychologist, the skill of being able to identify growth in people's narratives is one that can be helpful in the field of clinical psychology, especially in cognitive therapy and counseling, which I'm interested in pursuing. I've learned a lot myself within this lab about how change and major life decisions, even with a non-ideal outcome, can be very meaningful to one's life and human flourishment. I plan to get a master's degree post-grad, and hopefully one day pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. I'm excited to study abroad this summer with the psych program in Florence, Italy, and besides my love for traveling I also love listening to music, playing Club Soccer at UD, and spending time with my friends and family."
KELLY MUMBACH
Kelly Mumbach graduated from the University of Dayton, majoring in psychology.
In her words: "I am interested in child psychology, clinical psychology, and behavioral psychology. I plan to attend graduate school and earn my degree as a school psychologist. This lab has helped me to understand different perspectives people have and how they are linked to the choices they make in life. My favorite part of this lab is identifying the different themes of psychological growth from the stories we code. It has taught me how to help others find meaning, positivity, and fulfillment in their own stories in real life. I am lucky to be a part of this team and to use my experience from it to prepare me for my future career as a psychologist. Besides my love for psychology, I enjoy skiing, listening to music, and spending time with my friends and family."
GRACE FIORITI
Grace Fioriti graduated from the University of Dayton. She is majoring in health science with minors in psychology, social work, and disability studies.
In her words: "I have been interested in social psychology for my entire life. Ever since I was a kid, I loved forming connections and getting to understand the people in my life. Understanding a person's quirks, goals, and motivation helps me appreciate them for the unique and special person they are. Getting to be a part of a team that expands on this knowledge and presents it in a way that anyone can use to improve their own relationships and add to a more holistic community has been such an enriching experience. After graduation, I will be going to graduate school for social work to ultimately be a mental health counselor to hopefully continue to help people improve their lives."
MEKDELAWIT MUELLER
Dela Mueller graduated from the University of Dayton, majoring in psychology and minoring in business management. She is specifically interested in counseling, clinical, social, and personality psychology.
In her words: "I want to be able to help people who are struggling mentally. I am interested in positive psychology and want to be able to use this field as well as what I learned in this lab to help clients find meaning, fulfillment, and positivity in life to help with mental struggles. It’s interesting to be able to dissect people’s life stories. Instead of just reading through them, having something specific to code for (like redemption sequences and growth themes) helps to get so much more out of the stories. I am currently applying to PsyD programs and hoping to work in clinical mental health counseling. I am thinking of working with kids/teens. In the far future I want to eventually open a private practice."
ABIGAIL GEISZ
Abby Geisz graduated from the University of Dayton, majoring in psychology with a minor in philosophy. She is interested in counseling, social, personality, and child psychology.
In her words: "My interests in psychology include topics related to relationships, decision making and the self and identity. Studying life stories offers a deeper understanding of how humans can flourish and grants the opportunity to discover new perspectives on growth. I was drawn to this lab in search of understanding people better and how one can grow in different aspects of their life. In my free time, I love to spend time at home in St. Louis, read fiction, and check out new places with my friends. In the future, I plan to further my psychology education whether that be my masters or my P.h.D."
KIERSTEN WEATHERBIE
Kiersten Weatherbie is a second-year graduate student in the experimental psychology program at the University of Dayton. She graduated in 2019 from the University of Dayton with a B.S. in psychology and a B.A. in Spanish, with minors in sociology and in women's and gender studies and a certificate in human sexuality studies. After finishing her coursework in May 2021, she plans to work full-time in psychology research.
Her interests: “My research interests involve topics related to gender and women's issues, the self and identity, interpersonal processes and relations, and how these topics are interdisciplinary and applicable to understanding how people think of themselves and those around them. When not doing research, I enjoy spending time watching TV and cooking shows, taking a lot of photos, listening to music, and experiencing new places and things (except not during the current pandemic, of course)."