Who are the people behind the lectern? Did they appear one day to discuss t-tests and theories, and then disappear into the ether? It turns out that faculty are people too! The Department of Psychology strives to create a culture replete with high quality research and teaching. To foster that culture, the “meet the faculty” series is designed to give students an idea of what leads one to pursue a career aligned with this culture.
Let’s start the semester off right by getting to know Dr. Jasmine DeJesus. Dr. DeJesus joined the Department of Psychology in the Fall 2018 semester. She is aligned with the developmental psychology area. Dr. DeJesus is originally from New Jersey, but has also lived in Missouri, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Illinois, Michigan, and North Carolina. She earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard and her graduate degree from the University of Chicago. You can learn more about Dr. DeJesus’s research at her lab website.
Research Background and Interests
What inspired you to become a psychology professor?
I worked in a child development research lab when I was in college, where infant cognition was a big focus. I thought it was so fascinating that babies knew anything about the world and we could learn more about what they know through experiments. I liked working there and wanted to ask my own questions. I just kept going, I didn’t always dream of being a professor or even really think about it as a career path until I was in graduate school.
Can you describe your research area and interests?
My main area of research looks at social influences on eating behavior across the lifespan. I study parent-child food interactions as early as infancy, and I also study children’s beliefs about food, including what they think about picky eating and whether the recognize if they are picky eaters. Food is really interesting to me because we eat every day to survive, but it is also a huge part of our social world.
Are there any publications or work of which you’re particularly proud?
I published a paper in 2019 on children’s reaction to health messages about foods. I am especially proud of this work because our initial findings were unexpected: Across a few studies, 5-year-old children ate more of a food we described as “healthy but not popular” compared to a food described bas “popular but not healthy.” From these studies we could have concluded that children like healthy food more than we thought, but this just didn’t feel like the right explanation. By following up, we found that children preferred the alternative to an unhealthy food, but did not necessarily prefer healthy foods. It took patience and persistence to get to this answer.
Working and Teaching at UNCG
What drew you to joining the Psychology Department at UNCG?
I was excited to be part of a strong developmental area, and it seemed like people got along well and actually knew each other.
Do you have a favorite course that you teach?
I love teaching Developmental Psychology. It combines universal experiences with incredible diversity. We have all been children, and at a very basic level all children need the same things, like love, security, and basic resources. Children’s experiences around the world are incredibly diverse, and highlight that there are many paths to healthy development. I was asked recently if I had any recommendations for evidence-based books about parenting and the first thing that came to mind was my developmental psychology textbook. It doesn’t tell you how to parent exactly, but does give an idea of what children are capable of or interested in at different points of development.
What advice would you give to students aspiring to a career in your area?
Join a lab! That is where I developed a passion for the work I do. Think about what is exciting to you, what you want to know more about, who you want to spend your time thinking about. It takes persistence and resilience.
Fun Facts!
What do you like to do outside of work?
I sew as a hobby. I don’t get to do it as much as I used to before my daughter was born, but you might see me in class wearing something I sewed myself.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I love to sing. I was in chorus from elementary school through high school but I didn’t think I was good enough to be in a college singing group. I wish I had at least tried out! My daughter is starting to sing along to music and it is fun to sing with her.
Could you share a favorite movie, book, or band that you would recommend to others?
I still love the Wizard of Oz and later books by L. Frank Baum (and the movie Return to Oz). Some of them are very strange! I also love Gone Girl (book, movie, and soundtrack), Bob’s Burgers, and the Sopranos. Right now I am watching the Ken Burns American Revolution documentary. I love TV! According to Spotify my top artists of 2025 were The Runaways, Miley Cyrus, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and Bluey (thanks to my 2-year-old). I always listen to Bangerz by Miley Cyrus when I am getting a paper ready to submit.
