DESTINY A.

GONZALES
gonzad41@unlv.nevada.edu
www.linkedin.com/in/destinygonzales
www.destinygonzales.myportfolio.com
Aguilar, Colorado, 81020 • (719) 678-4838

EDUCATION
University of Nevada, Las Vegas August 2021 – Present
Ph.D. in Psychological and Brain Sciences; Developmental Emphasis
Research Topic: Musicality and Auditory Affective Processing in Adults and Children

The University of Texas at Austin August 2016 – May 2021

B.S. in Psychology – Department and Liberal Arts Honors; Certificate in Design Strategies
Advisor: Dr. Jarrod Lewis-Peacock
Thesis: Do Earworms Cause Internal Distraction and Interfere with Auditory Working Memory Representations?

RESEARCH INTERESTS
• Music cognition, psychomusicology, auditory development, and psychoacoustics
• Music-evoked autobiographical memories and involuntary musical imagery
• Neurologic music therapy and music-based interventions
• Community and intergenerational musical engagement
• User Experience (UX)/User Interface (UI) design
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
• Social and environmental justice
• UX and user research

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
The Verse – Lead UX Researcher; Berkeley, CA Summer 2022 – Present
• Lead UX strategy and cross-functional collaborations to develop transformative digital products and game-based therapeutics
• Synthesize and communicate findings from research to understand user needs, attitudes, motivations, behaviors, and experiences
• Document UX workshops and present end-to-end UX/UI design work to strengthen our product vision and company culture
W3LL – UX/UI Designer and User Researcher; Berkeley, CA Spring 2020 – Fall 2022
• Provide subject matter expertise on user research and UX/UI design for sound-based technologies and senior-focused well-being
• Collaborate with designers, developers, and engineers to build our online presence, social community, and recommendation engine
• Present discovery research and prototypes to key stakeholders to form actionable insights and inform executive decisions
ZTech – UX/UI Designer and User Researcher; Austin, TX Spring 2020 – Fall 2020
• Interviewed 30 real estate agents to identify their pain points regarding video production, lead generation, and digital marketing
• Collaborated with engineering, marketing, and design teams to develop ZTech's website, multilingual Facebook chatbots, and logo
• Executed exploratory and evaluative research to generate and test ideas for conversational marketing at a startup tech consultancy

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Auditory Cognition and Development Music Lab – Graduate Assistant; Las Vegas, NV Fall 2021 – Fall 2022
• Co-led Drs. Erin Hannon and Joel Snyder’s misophonia research and mentored assistants by teaching research skills and tools
• Analyzed self-report and behavioral data from an online survey investigating musicality, misophonia, ASMR, and musical frisson
• Presented research to developmental psychology, misophonia, and music cognition experts at funding meetings and conferences
Departmental Honors Thesis – Psychology Honors Students; Austin, TX Spring 2020 – Spring 2021
• Conducted a literature review focused on involuntary musical imagery, earworms, intrusive thoughts, and cognitive control
• Designed a user-friendly and accessible online study to examine the impact of musical earworms on auditory working memory
• Used PsyToolkit, the Famous Melodies Stimulus Set (Belfi & Kacirek, 2020), and a psycholinguistic database to construct the task
Dr. Lewis-Peacock’s Cognitive Neuroscience Lab – Research Assistant; Austin, TX Fall 2019 – Summer 2021
• Assisted in-lab and online human memory studies by earning a research assistantship and Level 1 MRI certification at UT Austin
• Collaborated with graduate students and peers to discuss working memory, functional neuroimaging, and real-time neurofeedback
• Analyzed visual and auditory data with Python to propose an EEG study for tracking and decoding cross-sensory spatial memory
Dr. Henderson’s Social Psychology Lab – Research Assistant; Austin, TX Spring 2019 – Summer 2021
• Collected in-person data for a study examining the relationship between perceived time, self-interest, and willingness to volunteer
• Led a thorough literature review and data analysis to explore prosocial models, retaliation, and punishment in U.S. new reports
• Collaborated with graduate students and peers to discuss research questions related to social conflict, judgement, and prosociality
MUSIC EXPERIENCE
Freelance Dancer – Independent; Aguilar, CO Fall 2022 – Present
• Create a social community and training programs to guide beginner to expert dancers in their dance journeys and personal goals
• Promote inclusivity and accessibility in workshops, discussions, and brand to develop a welcoming educational environment
• Research evidence-based practices to inform dance lessons and explore the benefits of musical movement for well-being
Freelance Musician – Independent; Austin, TX Fall 2018 – Fall 2021
• Studied clarinet in formal lessons and individual practice to advance musical training and songwriting
• Composed beginner pieces with MuseScore, transposed keys for woodwinds, and analyzed György Ligeti’s “Musica Ricercata”
• Wrote research papers in coursework exploring music therapy data, vocal identity, film music, and musical styles over time
Monarch Independent Percussion – Founding Intern; Houston, TX Winter 2016 – Spring 2018
• Managed relationships and projects between volunteers, board of directors, staff, and band members
• Organized, recorded, and transported inventory for over 200 instruments, props, uniforms, music sheets, and makeup
• Implemented new stitching techniques to prevent stage prop malfunctions and improve presentation value
Drum Corps International – Drum Major; Portland, Oregon Winter 2015 – Fall 2016
• Managed and organized equipment for 150 band members and 50 percussion members
• Communicated objectives and responsibilities between administrative staff, volunteers, and band members
• Trained drum majors in DB-90 metronome operations, conducting technique, score reading, and leadership responsibilities

ACADEMIC PROJECTS
Musicality and Sensitivity to Sensory Emotional Experiences – Psychological and Brain Sciences Proseminar Spring 2022
• Presented my first-year research topic on musicality and listeners’ sensitivity to misophonia, ASMR, and musical frisson
• Visualized demographic information, survey responses, and behavioral data collected from 200+ online adult participants
• Communicated the implications of musicality and sensory emotional experiences for misophonia risk factors and treatment targets
The Development of Musicality and the Influence of Musical Culture – Developmental Science Spring 2022
• Conducted a literature review on disciplinary perspectives of musical development and historical methods of measuring musicality
• Investigated theoretical and methodological shifts in development science that influenced the field of music cognition
• Identified individual and cultural variations in the development of musicality relevant for age- and culturally-sensitive interventions
Shared Musical Experiences Promote Cultural Learning and Group Cohesion – Developmental Psychology Fall 2021
• Conducted a literature review on the gene-culture coevolution of music, development of musicality, and musical cultural activities
• Synthesized 73 peer-reviewed articles to explore domain-specific and domain-general functions of human musicality
• Argued for the importance of social music engagement for synchrony, social bonding, cooperation, cohesion, and community
The Effects of Priming COVID-19 and Self- vs. Other Oriented Language on Empathy – Experimental Psychology Spring 2021
• Conducted a literature review on the effects of media consumption habits on group dynamics and COVID-19 compliance behaviors
• Designed a Qualtrics experiment to assess the influence of self vs other-oriented COVID-19 headlines on self-perceived empathy
• Recruited 195 participants through Amazon Mechanical Turk and compared groups’ empathy scores with Analysis of Variance
The Sociopolitical History of African American Music in the United States – Interpreting Black Rage Spring 2021
• Presented a timeline of sociopolitical events that significantly influenced the development of African American music
• Critiqued the representation and treatment of BIPOC artists in the American music industry and media
• Communicated the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in musical contexts and roles
Ment – Capstone in Integrated Design Spring 2021
• Designed a mentorship program and interactive kit with a design team for EcoRise, a sustainability K-12 education nonprofit
• Researched issues in environmental injustice, representation in green jobs, and the college transition for marginalized groups
• Presented research insights and high-fidelity mockups to help students overcome systemic barriers as they pursue their passions
Create a Visual Story for a Nonprofit to Encourage Fundraising – Storytelling for Influence Fall 2020
• Created an audiovisual presentation for Mobile Loaves and Fishes to build empathetic connections related to homelessness
• Led team meetings over Zoom for collaborative brainstorming, storyboard structuring, and story prototyping
• Received funding by humanizing sensitive subject matters (family loss, food scarcity, mental health) with compelling storytelling
FriendUp – Digital Prototyping Fall 2020
• Designed the UX/UI of a friend-matching application with a multidisciplinary design team to help UT students during the pandemic
• Used generative and evaluative design techniques, such as ideation and usability testing, to address student isolation and loneliness
• Employed design tools (e.g., MURAL, Figma) to conduct user interviews and create iterative prototypes of the FriendUp phone app
Design New Opportunities for Emergency Preparedness – Intro to Design Thinking Spring 2020
• Created an innovative interaction in the form of an instructional video to help users navigate emergencies and disasters
• Identified depth of need, iterated with low and high-fidelity prototypes, and tested concepts and experiences with diverse users
• Constructed artifacts of design work, including sketches, mind maps, point-of-view statements, concept captures, and storyboards
Reimagine the Food-On-the-Go Experience – Intro to Design Thinking Spring 2020
• Practiced need-finding, qualitative research, empathy maps, bodystorming, and other explorative design skills
• Returned to users to evaluate ideas and prototypes, gain new insights, and construct a narrative to share the business’ story
 • Provided constructive feedback and entrepreneurial ideas to 5Twelve, an independent healthy tea business located on campus
Redesign CapMetro Transportation Systems – Intro to Integrated Design Spring 2020
• Interviewed approximately 30 users of the Austin bus system through field work to identify trends and meaningful insights
• Synthesized information with user-focused and human-centered design thinking to address issues of safety and accessibility
• Created multiple journey maps, developed iterative low and high-fidelity prototypes, and surveyed CapMetro riders for feedback
Musical Connectivity: How Music Can Make the World a Better Place – Advanced Social Psychology Summer 2019
• Explored music and social psychology to predict a novel base effect, boundary condition, and prosocial behavioral outcome
• Conducted a literature review to synthesize music cognition and psychomusicology literature on prosociality in musical contexts
• Proposed an experimental longitudinal design to study the role of collaborative music-making and prosocial behaviors
The Effects of Contextual Consistency in Memorization – Statistics and Research Design Spring 2019
• Designed an original experiment based on cognitive processes (long-term memory, attention) and individual learning strategies
• Studied the impact of contextual consistency of visual (physical room) and auditory environment (musical presence) on word recall
• Analyzed behavioral results with a two-way ANOVA and JASP programming to examine the role of environment on memory

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
NAMIWalks Spring 2019 – Fall 2021
• Participated in in-person and virtual 5K walks to promote awareness of and address stigmas related to mental health
• Helped raise funds for the National Alliance on Mental Illness to improve the quality of life of those affected by mental illness
Austin State Hospital Spring 2019 – Spring 2020
• Assisted in pet therapy with Divine Canines onsite to encourage socialization between volunteers and patients
• Provided companionship and engaged in social games to connect with children and adults with special needs
Angels for Paws Spring 2018 – Fall 2018
• Fostered dogs struggling with adoption, assisted adoption events at PetSmart, and donated personal resources
• Collaborated with the founders of the nonprofit to share adoption information with PetSmart customers and care for pets onsite

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE AND ORGANIZATIONS

Society for Music Perception and Cognition (SMPC) – SMPC Member Spring 2022 – Present
Psychological and Brain Sciences Developmental Representative – UNLV Member Spring 2022 – Summer 2022
Outreach Undergraduate Mentoring Program (OUMP) – UNLV Member Fall 2021 – Summer 2022
Psi Chi Graduate Liaison – UNLV Member Fall 2021 – Summer 2022
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Solutions Committee – UNLV Member Fall 2021 – Summer 2022
Diversity and Inclusion Student Committee – UNLV Member Fall 2021 – Summer 2022
Latinx Graduate Student Association – UNLV Member Fall 2021 – Summer 2022
Services for Students with Disabilities Advisory Committee – UT Austin Alumni Member Fall 2020 – Fall 2021
Mental Health Ambassador Program – UT Austin Alumni Ambassador Fall 2020 – Fall 2021
BDP Design Strategies Ambassador Program – UT Austin Alumni Ambassador Fall 2020 – Fall 2021
Interdisciplinary Studies Mentor – UT Austin Alumni Member Spring 2020 – Fall 2021
Psi Chi Undergraduate Peer Mentor – UT Austin Alumni Member Spring 2019 – Fall 2021
Women in Psychology – UT Austin Alumni Member Fall 2018 – Fall 2021
Texas Student Psychology Association – UT Austin Alumni Member Fall 2018 – Fall 2021

AWARDS AND HONORS

OUMP Outstanding Mentor Award – UNLV Recipient Spring 2022
Rebel Grad Slam – UNLV 1st Place Recipient in Prelims, Audience Choice Award in Semi-Finals Fall 2021
Graduate Student Research Fellowship – UNLV Recipient Fall 2021
Access Grant – UNLV Recipient Fall 2021
Texas Student Research Showdown – UT Austin 1st Place Recipient in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Spring 2021
Psychology Departmental Honors – UT Austin Recipient Spring 2020
Liberal Arts Honors – UT Austin Recipient Spring 2020
Psi Chi Honors – UT Austin Recipient Fall 2019
University Honors – UT Austin Recipient Spring 2019 – Spring 2021

POSTERS (* = co-first authors)

• Gonzales, D.*, Barashy, S.*, Mednicoff, S., Benning, S., Snyder, J., Hannon, E. (2022, August). Relationships Between Musicality
and Experiences of Misophonia, ASMR, and Musical Frisson. Poster presented at the 2022 Society for Music Perception and
Cognition Conference, Portland, OR.
• Rice, A., O’Keefe, K., Chang, K., Mednicoff, S., Barashy, S., Gonzales, D., Hannon, E. (2022, April). Misophonia Sensitivity is
 Related to Enhanced Responsiveness to Misophonia, ASMR, and Musical Frisson. Poster presented at the 2022 UNLV
Undergraduate Research Symposium, Las Vegas, NV.
• Catayong, M., Smithers, W., Corral, A., Uganiza, Mednicoff, S., Barashy, S., Gonzales, D., Hannon, E. (2022, April). The
Relationship Between Misophonia Sensitivity and Musicality. Poster presented at the 2022 UNLV Undergraduate Research
Symposium, Las Vegas, NV.
• White, S., Leslie, J., Gonzales, D., Kayser, M., Barashy, S., Hannon, E. (2022, April). Gender, Dance Experience, and
Development. Poster presented at the 2022 UNLV Undergraduate Research Symposium, Las Vegas, NV.
• Gonzales, D., Mallett, R., Lewis-Peacock (2021, May) Do Earworms Cause Internal Distraction and Interfere With Auditory
Working Memory Representations? Poster presented at the 2021 UT Psychology Departmental Honors Poster Session, Austin, TX.

TALKS
• Mednicoff, S., Barashy, S., Gonzales, D., Benning, S., Snyder, J., Hannon, E. (2022, August) Misophonia sensitivity is associated
with greater emotional reactivity to ASMR and frisson. Talk presented at the 2022 Society for Music Perception and Cognition
Conference, Portland, OR.
• Gonzales, D., Mednicoff, S., Barashy, S., Benning, S., Snyder, J., Hannon, E. (2021, November) Misophonia and High-Level
Auditory and Affective Processing in Adults and Children. Talk presented at the 2021 Misophonia Research Fund Meeting,
Chicago, IL.

PAPERS
• Mednicoff, Barashy, S., Gonzales, D., Benning, S. D., Snyder, J. S., & Hannon, E. E. (2022). Auditory affective processing,
musicality, and the development of misophonic reactions. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, 924806–924806.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.924806

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Skills: Qualtrics, JASP, Python, SPSS, R, Figma, Mural, Miro, Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, Google Suite
Languages: English, Spanish (beginner)
Interests: Group and solo music-making, composing, dancing, sketching, powerlifting, volunteering, traveling
Work Eligibility: Eligible to work in the U.S. with no restrictions

REFERENCES
Ben Simon-Thomas
Co-Founder of W3LL and the Verse
Berkley, California
Phone: 510-859-4BEN
Email: bsimonthomas@gmail.com
Brandon Howard
Co-Founder of W3LL and the Verse
Burbank, California
Phone: 310-428-7837
Email: brandon@amgineink.com
Jarrod A. Lewis-Peacock, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, Department of Neuroscience
University of Texas at Austin
Phone: 512-232-2149
Email: jalewpea@utexas.edu
Marlone D. Henderson, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
University of Texas at Austin
Phone: 512-471-6447
Email: marlone.henderson@utexas.edu