Senior Claire Heyne Receives 2025-2026 Jerome S. Bruner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research

The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience is proud to announce that senior Claire Heyne has been honored as the recipient of the 2025–2026 Jerome S. Bruner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. Heyne exemplifies the intellectual curiosity, rigor, and commitment to meaningful scholarship that the Bruner Award recognizes.

Originally from Owatonna, Minnesota, where opportunities to engage in research were limited, Heyne’s journey into psychological research began at Duke University. Her interest was sparked during the spring semester of her freshman year after enrolling in PSY 101, taught by Dr. Bridgette Hard and Dr. Emma Grisham. While she was fascinated by the creativity of the methods researchers use to address psychological questions, it was the course’s research proposal assignment, through which students develop their own study designs, that ultimately inspired her to pursue research assistantships and further scholarly opportunities. Since then, Heyne’s research interests have centered on child development, shaped by her work in both the Tomasello Lab and the Wilbourn Infant Lab.

Heyne is drawn to developmental psychology for its relevance to education, technology, and legal systems. She found the field to be a natural intersection of academic interest and personal commitment, as she has always enjoyed working with children. Her current research in the Tomasello Lab examines how behavioral coordination may facilitate perspective-taking abilities in preschool-aged children. This work represents the most significant research project of her undergraduate career. Together, these two studies will form her senior thesis, which she will complete and defend this spring.

Heyne began data collection for the first study this past summer with support from the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience’s Vertical Integration Program. For this project, she uses behavioral experiments designed as engaging games for children. She notes that designing procedures that both keep young children engaged and address the project’s theoretical questions was challenging yet intellectually stimulating. Results from the first study revealed a fascinating interaction between coordination engagement and age, which significantly affected children’s perspective-taking abilities. In her second study, Heyne is examining whether this effect extends to a more theoretically difficult, form of perspective-taking in slightly older children.

Heyne is grateful to be part of the Tomasello Lab and feels privileged to have been mentored by Dr. Michael Tomasello and Dr. Henrike Moll of the University of Southern California. She notes that their consistent support provided invaluable guidance in understanding the theoretical foundations of her research, developing effective procedures, and navigating unexpected challenges with grace. Being part of a lab with regular meetings also gave Heyne opportunities to discuss ideas and procedures and to receive extensive feedback, which significantly shaped both studies. While not directly involved in her current research project, Heyne also wishes to acknowledge Drs. Hard and Grisham, whose encouragement helped her develop confidence in her academic and professional abilities.

Receiving the Bruner Award represents more than an academic achievement for Heyne; it is a meaningful marker of personal growth. Dr. Tomasello often speaks of Dr. Jerome S. Bruner as a highly influential mentor, and Heyne is proud to have enacted the lessons of intellectual curiosity and high-quality scholarship passed down through this lineage. Mirroring Dr. Bruner’s focus on how human psychology influences both the conception and practice of law during his time at New York University’s School of Law, Heyne hopes to use her psychological and future legal education to improve access to and the quality of education, while also contributing to cognitive psychology scholarship that supports a more just and effective legal system.

Looking ahead, Heyne will attend law school in the fall. While she has not yet finalized her choice, she is excited about the selection process. One thing she is certain of is her intention to continue contributing to academic research while pursuing her legal education.

Reflecting on her undergraduate journey, Heyne is grateful for the opportunity to explore a wide range of disciplines through Duke’s diverse course offerings, as well as for the many research opportunities available to undergraduates. She encourages fellow students interested in research to pursue that interest, even if they are unsure whether it is the right fit, as it may open pathways to a meaningful career. Even if it does not, students will gain valuable skills and a clearer understanding of the work they enjoy.

For Heyne, research has significantly strengthened her writing, logical reasoning, creativity, and skepticism, while also fostering patience and an ability to center the experiences of others. As Dr. Tomasello often advises, “When planning how long it will take to complete a study, take the amount of time it should theoretically take, then double that.” Though balancing academic and research responsibilities can be demanding, Heyne notes that finding meaning and small joys in her work helped her overcome those challenges, a lesson she hopes to share with fellow students and will carry with her as she continues her academic journey.

The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience congratulates Claire Heyne on receiving the Jerome S. Bruner Award. we look forward to seeing the impact she will continue to make in both academia and the broader community.