I am a PhD student in the philosophy department at the University of California, Davis, working on topics in value theory, moral psychology, ethics, philosophy of emotion, and philosophy of well-being.

Within moral psychology, my research project aims at the epistemology of emotions with respect to our moral intuition and knowledge of qualitative properties, among other things. My interest in emotions intersects with other topics in philosophy, especially those of free will, rational agency, and the nature of reasons. I have also recently developed an interest in phenomenal conservatism, especially as they relate to intuitions and emotions.

I am co-founder and main organizer of the DREGSS (Disability, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) reading group, created in the winter of 2026. I have also been a member of the UC Davis AI Ethics Lab since the fall of 2025, led by PI Qiannan Li. See some of my contributions here.

Shoot me an email at alelau@ucdavis.edu if you'd like to chat!