Kyle Barrentine is a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in social psychology at the University of Virginia, working under the mentorship of Drs. Adrienne Wood and Gerald Higginbotham. His research investigates both the causes and subjective consequences of social exploration, with particular attention to the bidirectional influence of identities such as race, political orientation, and gun ownership on social networks and the opportunities or constraints they create. Kyle’s broader research agenda is driven by a commitment to equity and to understanding how structural and cultural forces shape lived experience, especially for Black Americans and communities disproportionately affected by violence.

He has developed expertise in multilevel modeling, regression interpretation, and data visualization, with a focus on making complex results interpretable for diverse audiences.