Kennedy Black

Dynamic research professional with extensive experience at Duke University, excelling in project management and recruitment strategy. Proven ability to lead studies of consumer behavior, develop training protocols, and present findings at conferences. Proficient in organization, analysis, and representation of quantitative data. Skilled in fostering collaboration among diverse teams, enhancing research outcomes through critical thinking and effective communication.

Duke University Cheerleading Team (2020-2023) - represented Duke University Athletics in local and global communities; developed relationships with community members through events such as Prospective Graduate Student Orientation for Duke University and “Meeting the Residents” meetings with Sunset Village Nursing Home; hosted charity events at Wallace Wade Stadium and Cameron Indoor Stadium; hosted cheerleading workshops for elementary and middle school-aged children; traveled with Duke Varsity Athletics Teams.

Rush Chair of Brownstone Student Living Group (2020-2023) - Elected executive council member of exclusive on-campus living group; planned social events for the community such as charity for the Ronald McDonald House and support for university sports teams; organized campus-wide recruitment events for prospective members.

Black, K.A., Juarez, E.J., Chan, J.J., Kang, J. Y., Orugunta, A., Compton, S., Perez-Balaguer, M., Salerno, J.M., Troutman, A., Yu, L., Marsh, E.J., De Brigard, F., Samanez-Larkin, G.R., Cabeza, R., Effects of memory on consumer choice across adulthood. In preparation.

• Duke Alumni Admissions Committee Volunteer - Ambassador for the university, conducts evaluative, informative and positive interviews with prospective students applying for undergraduate admission.
• Athlete to Athlete - Athletic mentorship program; individual peer-coach for young student-athletes across the country; encouraging academic achievement and passing on values and habits from personal experience as a Division I athlete during weekly meetings.
• Tutoring - Writing tutor through Wyzant since 2019, specializing in the development, editing and proofreading of undergraduate and graduate program admissions essays, research papers, microhistories, and theses.
• Volunteer Assistant, Morning Glory Apartments Clinic - Assisted in check-up clinic with AMWA for senior living community; Supported disabled residents in completing necessary paperwork; Recorded data for medical professionals during check-ups.

Undergraduate Independent Study, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience 08/2022-05/2023

• Conducted comprehensive literature reviews on social motivation, episodic memory, and aging.
• Collaborated with a graduate student to develop a pilot study of memory and consumer decision-making in older adults.
• Created sequences of stimuli in Adobe and Qualtrics.
• Assessed facial databases to determine the best candidates for emotional stimuli research.
• This resulted in the continued exploration of the effects of aging and social influence on episodic memory-dependent decision-making in a post-baccalaureate role following graduation.

Undergraduate Research Assistant/Social Media Manager, Duke Eating Disorder Laboratory 08/2021-05/2022

• The project entailed examining interventions for young children with ARFID, and the effects of parental involvement on their reduction of selective eating.
• Completed HIPAA and CITI certifications in research ethics and policies for research involving vulnerable populations.
• Analyzed video data to examine parental involvement and rewards on ARFID interventions.
• Oversaw the production and posting schedule of lab social media campaigns focusing on eating disorder awareness.
• Collaborated with graduate students and undergraduate research assistants to develop experiments, discuss research methods, and edit abstracts.

• Gregory Samanez-Larkin, Ph.D., Jerry G. and Patricia Crawford Hubbard Professor, Motivated Cognition & Aging Brain Lab, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Box 90999, Durham, NC, 27708, g.samanezlarkin@duke.edu, (919) 660-5716
• Terrie Moffitt, Ph.D., Nannerl O. Keohane University Distinguished Professor, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, 2020 West Main Street, Suite 201, Durham, NC, 27708, terrie.moffitt@duke.edu, (919) 684-5831
• Napoleon Higgins Jr., M.D., Owner, CEO, and President of Bay Pointe Behavioral Health Service, Inc., 13310 Beamer Rd Ste G, Houston, TX, 77089, nhiggins@blackpsychs.org, (832) 439-5446

• Yu., C., Black, K.A., Chan, J.J. Juarez, E.J., Marsh, E. J., De Brigard, F., Samanez-Larkin, G. R., Cabeza, R., Multi-Attribute Memory and Decision-Making Across the Adult Lifespan: Neural Representations and Behavioral Dynamics. Poster to be presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Conference 2025 Annual Meeting on 03/30/2025 in Boston, MA.
• Black, K.A., Chan, J.J. Juarez, E.J, Yu, L., Marsh, E. J., De Brigard, F., Samanez-Larkin, G. R., Cabeza, R., Effects of memory on consumer choice across adulthood. Poster presented at the Dallas Aging and Cognition Conference on 02/20/2025 in Dallas, TX.
• Black, K.A., Influence of Imagining the Future on Time Discounting Across the Adult Lifespan. Abstract presented at the Carolinas Psychology Conference on 04/13/2024 in Campbell, NC.
• Black, K.A., Intro to Psychology: Experimental Research, Brain Sciences, and An Introduction to What We’ve Been Doing All This Time. Lecture presented for Duke Continuing Studies Programs on 07/25/2023 at the Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center for Health Education in Durham, NC.

• RCR Data Management and Quality track ASIST
• OnCore (Medical Charting Software) Training for the Clinical Research Coordinator- DOCR
• CITI- Biomedical Research - Basic/Refresher - Biomedical Research with GCP - Basic/Refresher (ID 30541)
• CITI- Biomedical Research - Basic/Refresher - Vulnerable Subjects - Research Involving Pregnant Women, Fetuses, and Neonates (ID 56511)
• CITI- Biomedical Research - Basic/Refresher - Vulnerable Subjects - Research Involving Children (ID 30575)
• CITI- Biomedical Research - Basic/Refresher - Vulnerable Subjects - Research Involving Prisoners (ID 30576)