ARTS Project 2026

ARTS Proposal: The Role of Faculty-Student Interactions in University Students’ Learning and their Relation to Academic Emotions and Engagement 

Read the full proposal here.

Team Members

Damon Jahan Araei, Sweden

Damon Jahan Araei holds an MSc in Child and Adolescent Mental Health from UCL and a BSc in Psychology with Clinical Approaches from the University of Sussex. His research interests include mental health in schools, emotion regulation, and youth well-being. He is excited to engage in cross-cultural applied psychology and contribute to meaningful impact.

Gabriel L. Medianero Araúz, Panama

Psychologist graduated from the Universidad de Panamá and currently pursuing a Master 's Degree in Cognitive and Behavioral Neurosciences at Universidad de Granada, Spain.  He has experience in clinical psychology and research, which has been recognized by the National Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Innovation (SENACYT) of Panama and multiple divisions of the American Psychological Association, including Division 52, 49, and 35. He is currently serving as SCRA`s Regional Network Coordinator, Ambassador for Latin America of IAAP`s Division 15 and Editor of the International Psychology Bulletin.

Lokita Chandra, India

Hello, My name is Lokita Chandra and I am currently pursuing my Masters in Psychology from Banaras Hindu University, India. I am a research enthusiast and I love learning about new facts, concepts and experiences. Being part of the IAAP ARTS project, I wish to refine my research skills and use them for the betterment of the community.

Yagmur Ekin Demirtas, Hungary / Türkiye

Ekin Demirtas is a PhD candidate in Social Psychology at Eötvös Loránd University, holding an MA in Clinical and Health Psychology. She has completed research internships at institutions such as Koç University and the University of the Basque Country, alongside NGO work supporting migrant communities and youth in state care. Her research interests include collective trauma, victimhood beliefs, sojourner groups, migration, acculturation and discrimination.

Alicja Szmidka, Poland

Alicja Szmidka is an early-career psychologist and researcher engaged in global initiatives at the intersection of education, trauma, migration, and human rights. She holds a degree in Health Psychology from the Medical University of Gdańsk (Poland), where she currently works as a Teaching Assistant in the Division of Quality of Life Research. She serves as the Academic Affairs Officer of European Federation of Psychology Students' Associations (EFPSA) and is a member of Global Psychology Alliance Vulnerability & Marginalization Working Group.