Randi is a Ph.D. candidate in Psychology with an emphasis in Applied Public Psychology at Florida International University, having also received her M.S. in Psychology from FIU. Working in the Power, Women and Relationships Lab at FIU, her research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine gender- and sexual-based violence and inequities in the United States through the lenses of Feminist theory. Her area of expertise encompasses the development and perpetuation of social attitudes, gender roles, norms and identification, social power structures, identity-based violence, and their impacts on sexual health, rights and justice in emerging adults, particularly in the digital or cyber sphere. Her research projects include examining college students’ perceptions and understanding of the Title IX grievance process and student reporting behaviors, studies into the effects of experiencing technology-facilitated sexual abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic, and seeking to capture and articulate population attitudes around cyber sexual abuse, including victim blaming and institutional responsibility.
Beyond her own research, Randi is a member of the APA Science Student Council, advocating for training and awareness among psychological graduate students. She is also a passionate advocate for human rights and increasing political participation, creating positive top-down change in our society. As a First Gen college student and alumnus of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, Randi firmly believes in the power of great mentoring to change lives from the bottom up, and has been invited to speak at both FIU and her alma mater, Southeast Missouri State University, about the graduate school process and achieving educational goals from outside of the academic Ivory Tower.