Dr. Madelyn Church

Madelyn (Maddy) is a previous graduate student from the Lay Beliefs and Culture lab. She received her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from The University of Mississippi in 2026. She received her M.A. in Experimental Psychology from The University of Mississippi in 2022 and a B.S. in psychology from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Madelyn is now a Visiting Professor in Psychology at Susquehanna University. Madelyn's research interests largely focus on perceptions of authenticity – the belief that one is behaving in accordance with their ‘true self’ – for oneself and of others. Her dissertation examined the pressures that marginalized individuals, particularly members of the LGBTQ+ community, may experience when receiving messages to be authentic in environments where their identity is not fully represented or supported.