Syakira Wijaya

Ph.D. Student, Psychology

Research Interests:
Syakira studies how digital media and technology influence children’s learning, well‑being and development. She also examines how children engage with digital platforms and how technology use within the home environment impacts developmental trajectories. 

Road to the Moody School: 
Born and raised in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Syakira graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in psychology and computer and information science from Berea College. As an undergraduate, she was actively involved in psychological research, serving as a fellow with the Society of Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) and as a Founding Generation Fellow of the International Congress of Infant Studies (ICIS). Her work earned the Outstanding Undergraduate Submission Award at the ICIS Congress in 2024. She also received a summer research grant from Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, which supported her research at SMU in summer 2024.