Dan is a PhD student in Communication at the University at Buffalo, specializing in Cognitive Science. His research interests in media psychology and social cognition explore empathy's role in how people experience and are affected by media.

He is a member of the Media Psychology & Morality Lab, the UB Narrative Lab, the Social Well-Being Lab, and the UB Center for Cognitive Science. Dan’s goal is to study how media can also serve to improve attitudes and understanding between social groups, and foster empathy.

Educational Background

• PhD (present), University at Buffalo
• MA, University at Buffalo
• BA, University at Buffalo
• AS, SUNY Erie

Current Research

• Kulesza, D., Hahn, L., & Raney, A. A. (2025). Dispositional empathy and mediated contact’s ability to reduce prejudicial attitudes. [Under review]. Communication Studies.
• Kulesza, D., & Lee, D. S. Learning How to Give Effective Social Support: Exploring the Role of Personality and Motivation – Study III.
  Status: Materials development in progress.
• Kulesza, D., Hahn, L., Lapan, E., & Chen, H. Mass Shooting Newspaper Coverage Content Analysis.
  Status: Data analysis - coding.
• Kulesza, D., & Hahn, L. The Mediating Role of Perspective-Taking in Mediated Contact Effects.
  Status: Materials development in progress.

Academic Research

Kulesza, D., Hahn, L., & Raney, A. A. (2025, November) Dispositional Empathy and Mediated Contact’s Ability to Reduce Prejudicial Attitudes. [Paper Submitted]. 111th annual convention of the National Communication Association, Denver, Colorado.

Velho, R. M., Chen, H., Kulesza, D., & Black, E. (2025, September). Partisanship Governing Moral Responses to News about Immigrants Inflicting Harm. [Abstract Accepted]. Partisanship and Misinformation about Minority Groups panel, Division 38: Political Communication, American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (To be presented by H. Chen)

Kulesza, D. (2025). Specifying the Multidimensional Nature of Empathy and Considering Its Impact on Theory. [Poster Presentation]. Moral Media Conference, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.

Raffloer, G., Green, M., Kulesza, D., & Chen, H. (2025). Morality and the Machine: How we React to Mistreatment of Artificial Intelligence. [Poster Presentation]. Moral Media Conference, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA. (Presented by G. Raffloer)

Taggart, M., Andreeva, I., Lattimer, T., Kulesza, D., & Hahn, L. (2024). A Conceptual Replication of Research Investigating the Moral Roots of Extreme Prejudice. [Abstract Presentation]. National Communication Association’s Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, USA. (Presented by M. Taggart)