Lia Aldea-Lustig
lpa27@cornell.edu
www.linkedin.com/in/lia-aldea-lustig-32a87b359
Education
Cornell University, College of Human Ecology, Ithaca, NY
Bachelor of Science in Human Development, Minors in Moral Psychology and Education
(Expected May 2026) – GPA: 4.00
SUNY Westchester, Westchester NY
Major in Psychology (Transferred 2023) – GPA: 4.0
Lab Work, Research, and Internships
Applied Moral Psychology Lab, Research Assistant, Cornell University NY (Aug 2024 - Present)
RA to Dr. Laura Niemi in the Applied Moral Psychology Lab. Conducted literature reviews, coded data, and provided feedback to PhD students in the lab. Currently working on a senior honors thesis investigating how AI anthropomorphism and moral decision type (utilitarian vs. deontological) shape people’s comfort, moral judgments, and perceptions of machine mind.
Psychology of Gender, Teaching Assistant, Cornell University NY (Aug 2025 - Present)
TA to Dr. Lauren Korfine. Helped create and grade exams, read student papers, answered questions and led group discussions.
Introduction to Human Ecology, Teaching Assistant, Cornell University NY (Aug 2025 - Present)
TA to Dr. Marianella Casasola. Responsible for taking attendance, helping to formulate and grade assignments, and working with students from a wide variety of majors, from fashion design to biology.
Innocence Research Lab, Research Assistant, Cornell University NY (Mar 2024 - Jan 2025)
RA to Dr. Michael Toglia in the Innocence Research Lab. I was the lead RA and founder of the Life After Exoneration Project, where we worked with exonerees to better understand their experience with discrimination after being found innocent and released from prison.
Dr. Stalias-Mantzikos, Research Assistant, SUNY Westchester (Mar 2023 - Aug 2023)
RA to Dr. Stalias-Mantzikos. Responsible for gathering and organizing data and reviewing research for an ongoing inter-collegiate collaborative study examining factors relating to chronic illness that affect adaptation or burnout, including locus of control, spirituality, sense of coherence, and cognitive attentional syndrome.
Education and Psychology Fieldwork, Bell Sherman Elementary School, Ithaca, NY (Aug 2023 - Dec 2023)
As part of fieldwork for Art of Teaching and Psychology of Education, served as Teacher’s Assistant and helped first and fifth graders with class and homework. Worked with several international students who were not English speakers.
Lenox Hill Hospital, Neurosurgery Intern (Summer 2023)
Shadowed neurosurgeons at top New York hospital; observed surgeries and attended seminars and lectures led by surgeons, PAs, NPs, and administrative staff.
Spiral Giving, Board Member, Westchester, NY (Sep 2022 - Aug 2023)
Served initially as an intern, and then as a Board Member, for a philanthropic organization providing grants to local non-profit organizations. Responsible for organizing meetings and fundraising events and reviewing grant applications.
Byram Hills HS Senior Internship, Teacher’s Aide, Wampus Elementary School, Armonk, NY (Apr - Jun 2022)
Acted as Teacher’s Assistant and helped teach on-level and special education classes for fifth grade children with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning differences.
Academic Honors and Awards
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Active Member (May 2023 - Present)
Honor Society recognizing academic achievement, for GPAs in top 10%.
Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology, Executive Board Member (Oct 2023 - Present)
Honor Society promoting excellence in Psychology.
Social Chair (2025-present): Responsible for planning and hosting chapter-wide meetings, social events, and networking opportunities.
Recruitment Chair and New Member Educator (2024-2025): Responsible for selecting the new member class, planning events to foster a sense of community for new members, and running the big-little program.
Alice Cook Honor Society (Cook Catalysts Division), Founder and President (Aug 2025 - Present)
Responsible for inviting and hosting speakers – including scientists, artists, film makers, doctors, and
influencers – to present lectures. Hosted social, non-academic events designed by students for students.
Alice Cook House Dean’s Council, Active Member (Aug 2024 - Present)
Council that works to foster community building and improvement in the West Campus housing system and broader Ithaca area, including planning events around arts and culture, working with non-profits, and facilitating housing improvements.
Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society in Human Ecology, Active Member (Aug 2024 - Present)
Honor Society focused on community building in the Cornell College of Human Ecology, hosting events and fundraisers in collaboration with non-profit organizations, organizing lectures with notable professors, and planning social events for members.
Flora Rose Scholars Program, Member (Aug 2024 - May 2025)
Honor Society that works to foster community building in the West Campus housing system and educates Cornell students about the broader Ithaca community.
Elsie Van Buren Rice Award, Second Place Recipient (Mar 2025)
Award in Public Speaking, honoring the best student speeches addressing how research in Human Ecology makes a difference in society.
Junk Kouture Sustainable Fashion Design Competition, World Finalist (Feb 2023)
Designed and crafted wearable art, including dress, shoes, hat, bag, accessories, and wig, using 100% recycled materials (vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs, and sheet music) for international competition. Won regional and state competitions; Ranked in top 10 of designs from all entries in United States; advanced as finalist to 2023 World Championship in Abu Dhabi.
Speech and Debate National Honor Society, President (Sep 2019 – Jun 2022)
Won over 100 trophies at international, national, and regional tournaments in multiple events. Ranked #1 in New York State and #2 in United States in Original Oratory; #1 in New York State in Poetry and Prose Interp. Received National Speech and Debate Association Awards for District Student of the Year (2022), All-American Award (2022), All State-Award (2022), Premier Distinction Award (2022), and Academic All-American Award (2021).
Employment
Alice Cook House, Undergraduate Resident Fellow, Cornell University, NY (Aug 2025 – Present)
Served as a mentor and resident assistant for students in the Alice Cook House. Responsible for planning events, settling roommate and other disputes, handling maintenance, and other requests.
Byram Hills Speech and Debate, Coach and Judge, Armonk, NY (Sep 2022 - Present)
Employed part-time by the Byram Hills School District to judge, rank, and provide written feedback and critique of competitors’ performance during state and national tournaments and to assist students in improving oratory skills.
Cornell Photography Department, Tjaden Hall Photo Monitor, Cornell University, NY (Aug 2024 – Sep 2025)
Employed part-time in the Tjaden Hall darkroom. Responsible for mixing chemistry and helping students develop film photographs in both black and white and color darkrooms.
Society for Philosophy and Psychology 2025 Conference, Staff, Ithaca, NY (Jun 2025)
Staffed and helped organize the 51st annual SPP conference.
Windmill Club, Lifeguard, Armonk, NY (Summers 2022, 2023)
Warned swimmers of danger, enforced lake regulations and water safety policies, administered first-aid, and rescued swimmers in distress. American Red Cross CPR and Waterfront certified.
Activities, Organizations, and Extracurriculars
Cornell Undergraduate Research Board, Mentor (Oct 2023 - Present)
Served as mentor in organization promoting and enriching undergraduate research on campus. Advised and assisted other undergraduate students to help them find research opportunities.
Already Friendz, Mentor (May 2024 - Present)
Served as mentor in organization that works to foster connections between Cornell’s transfer student population. Assisted and advised incoming transfers on how to best succeed at Cornell.
Outdoor Adventure Club, Active Member (Oct 2023 - Present)
Active Member in club that plans and participates in various extreme sports and nature-based excursions.
Her Campus Feminist Magazine, Events Director (Jan 2024 - May 2025)
Responsible for planning and budgeting events and working with high-profile brands such as Keihl’s, Rare Beauty, and Function of Beauty Hair Care to receive sponsorships; served as chapter ambassador.
Skills and Interests
Computer Skills: R, SPSS, Python, Qualtrics, Adobe Photoshop, Photopia, Adobe Illustrator, Box, Excel, Canva
Arts: film (darkroom) and digital photography, creative writing, fine and decorative arts, graphic design
Public Speaking: won over 100 individual awards at international, national, and local tournaments in multiple oratory and dramatic events.
Event Organization and Leadership: Held leadership roles in over 15 different organizations in the past 8 years and organized many large and small scale events at the community, state, and national levels.
Certifications: CITI Program Certification, Human Subjects Research (IRB) Training (expires 2029)
Recreation: World travel, escape rooms, hiking, water skiing, downhill skiing, white water rafting, boating, classical literature, gardening, crafts.