Jenna McClear

Background

About Jenna McClear

I am a current master's student in the field of theological studies at Duke University and a prospective psychology doctoral student (pursuing applications to begin in the 2025 academic year). In my ongoing thesis research, I seek to define joy from both psychological and theological lenses, cultivate a robust interdisciplinary understanding of joy, and explore the clinical and pastoral implications of joy as a measurable emotion, phenomenological experience, and spiritual disposition. I am also presently working on a project in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University measuring the health benefits of mindfulness interventions on undergraduate students. My areas of interest include positive psychology, positive valence (specifically motivational) systems, emotion theory, post-traumatic growth, and theology.