Nikolai Tassin ’26 thought he had a solid path outlined when deciding where to attend college and what to major in. The Fayetteville, N.C. native knew he wanted to stay in North Carolina and become a therapist, so he focused his search on schools with strong psychology programs.
However, early in his first semester at UNCG, Tassin realized that path may not be the one for him to follow.
“I came into college thinking I wanted to be a therapist,” Tassin says. “Psychology to therapy, pretty one-to-one. I took the Careers in Psychology class my first semester, freshman year. While the professor was talking about what [being a therapist] would look like, I was thinking, ‘Oh no I have to change majors. I don’t want to do this.’”
Fortunately, Tassin quickly learned that UNCG is a safe place for exploring new paths, and he would eventually find the one that would bring him to Spring 2026 Commencement Day.
“I’ve just grown so much more confident in approaching strangers and having conversations and being willing to go out and experience something new,” Tassin says. “So many doors opened for me, because I had opened a door already and kept walking through.”
Discovering Research and a Place to Belong
Just as the Careers in Psychology class began its unit on research and academic positions. Tassin saw an event posting for an undergraduate research workshop held by the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Office (URSCO). He applied, hoping to connect the dots with what he was learning in class.
That decision would ultimately shape the remainder of his time at UNCG and post-graduate journey.
At the workshop, Tassin heard an undergraduate student in the lab of Dr. Kari Eddington, professor and director of Clinical Training, share his research. Afterwards, Tassin emailed the student to say how cool his work sounded and asked to see what was happening in the lab.
“I joined in for some meetings, and I’ve been with [Eddington] ever since,” Tassin says. “I found the lab, I loved it, and I never left.”
His work in Eddington’s lab began with running research study participants, walking them through completing questionnaires and digital tasks. He then progressed to helping graduate students with coding. By his second year, Eddington recognized the variety of experiences Tassin had gained and offered him additional opportunities. He began creating surveys and consent forms. Eventually, he wrote the entire procedures manual for one of their studies.
Being trusted with those responsibilities expanded his academic and personal outlook.
“Dr. Eddington gave me the trust and responsibility, and I was able to take that even a step further to apply what I learned. That was a really meaningful experience for me, because it showed me that I am a person who can be trusted.”
Nikolai Tassin ’26
Growing Into a Researcher and Into Himself
Senior year, Tassin was also working in the Regulation and Emotional Development in Youth (READY) Lab with Dr. Jessica Dollar, assistant professor of psychology. While delving deeper into data coding, this lab allowed him to explore other areas of research and technique.
“Essentially I’m creating the idea,” Tassin says. “I’m not just doing the actual running of participants, making up the materials, but I’m thinking of questions and how to answer them.”
He began exploring data gathered during other projects and thinking about it differently. His weekly task of downloading participants’ responses led Tassin to conduct a qualitative analysis and present his findings to the rest of Eddington’s lab.
While existing studies focused on long-term goal success, Tassin wanted to explore the effect of day-to-day behaviors on goals. He decided to develop his Lloyd International Honors College project around that idea.
“I did a secondary data analysis looking at if traits actually predict what students are doing,” he says, “seeing how people, day-to-day, put effort towards or avoid their goals, rather than long-term success,” he says. “So, I was able to read the literature, find a gap, and find a way to fill it, which was really fun and exciting.”
In his last semester, he presented two projects at the Lloyd International College Honors Symposium: “Generative AI Use and the Propensity of Pro-Anorexia Content” and “Goal Pursuit: Comparing Grit and Goal Adjustment with Daily Measures of Goal Pursuit.” The generative AI presentation received first place in the UNCG Sciences and Professional Schools category.
A third project, “Testing the Impact of a Self-Regulation-Based Micro Intervention on Depression and Subject Well-Being” placed second in the Carolyn and Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research & Creativity Expo category for Business, Economics, Education, Behavioral and Social Sciences. In between those research showcases, he also got to travel to present at the Southern Psychological Association’s annual conference in New Orleans, La. The trip, his first out-of-state conference, was made possible, in part, thanks to $500 in funding provided by URSCO.
Nikolai describes his growth as a researcher and as a person as being intertwined. Research taught him not to be afraid of making mistakes. Mistakes aren’t failures — they are part of the process.
Dedicated Crafter
Tassin founded the Make Cool Stuff Club and served as its president for three years.
Outdoor Adventurer
Tassin work as an outdoor adventures assistant where he co-led student groups on recreational activities ranging from backpacking to canoeing.
passionate advocate
In his role as a gender and sexuality educator, Tassin worked to educate others and himself.
Science enthusiast
Tassin participated in UNCG’s Science Everywhere for multiple years, giving demonstrations to local community members.
Avid Researcher
Tassin discovered and developed a love of research during his time at UNCG, undertaking several projects, including his independent research projects.
Building Community through Creativity and Advocacy
Outside the lab, Tassin built community at UNCG in other ways, from art to advocacy to student leadership.
During his first year, he discovered the SELF Design Studio and founded Make Cool Stuff, an art club for students of any major. For three years he served as president, leading meetings and monthly workshops on crafts like polymer clay sculptures, bookbinding, and henna.
“It’s really just providing the space for creativity and community that you might not necessarily get in your academics,” Tassin says.
He has also worked several jobs on campus: as a fitness assistant in the Kaplan Center, and an outdoor adventures assistant where he co-led student groups on recreational activities ranging from backpacking to canoeing. He served as a gender and sexuality educator at the Office of Intercultural Engagement, leading events, allyship and advocacy workshops, and creating spaces for queer students to connect with alumni and each other.
“I absolutely love that position and the people I work with,” Tassin says. “It’s been a really great way to be connected to the queer community on campus, find ways to be an advocate, and educate others and myself.”
His commitment to advocacy extended into an internship with UNCG’s Dean of Students Title IX Support Office, helping plan Relationship Violence Awareness Month programming and researching support systems for pregnant and parenting students. That led to his service as a student committee member of the Campus Violence Response Center.
“Through the internship, I got to tie in research that was more people-focused,” Tassin says. “Add the event managing, and it kind of coalesced all my different talents and avenues into one thing. It was a really wonderful experience.”
“I used to be the kind of person who would make a mistake and think that’s the end of the world, But research is so beautiful because mistakes are just part of it. If you don’t make a mistake, you’re probably doing something wrong. There’s a saying that goes, It’s re-searching because you’re always searching again.”
Nikolai Tassin ’26
Looking Ahead while Reflecting Back
Tassin has accepted a position as a lab manager at the University of Michigan’s FAST Lab. His long-term goal is to become a psychology professor and mentor, and inspire the next generation of researchers.
“All the professors and graduate students that I’ve met have been so keen on mentorship and showing me the ropes,” he says.
He thinks back to the time he was a timid student in high school, afraid of public speaking, of making mistakes, of building connections. Now he’s proud of how he put himself out there and took advantage of opportunities provided to him at UNCG.
Reflecting on his own experience, Tassin wants current and prospective students to know that while the college experience may feel overwhelming at times, they should always give themselves grace.
“Take a breath,” he says. “You have plenty of time. Be kind to yourself. Not everything may work out how you want it to, but that’s part of the process.”
Story by Amanda Kennison, College of Arts & Sciences
Photography courtesy of University Communications and Nikolai Tassin, College of Arts & Sciences
CELEBRATE OUR GRADS!
Graduates and their families are encouraged to share their accomplishments on social media by tagging the University accounts and using the hashtag #UNCGGrad. Visit UNCG’s digital swag page for Commencement-themed graphics and templates.
Mention @UNCG in celebratory posts on Instagram and X and @uncgreensboro on TikTok.
