Meet the Team

Research Team Fall 2017

Zahra Naqi, Graduate Student & T.A.

Hometown: Schaumburg, IL
Education: B.S. in Psychology, Minor in Neuroscience (Loyola University Chicago 2017)
Current Status: 1st year graduate student in Loyola University Chicago's Developmental Psychology Ph.D. Program.
Research Interests: social and emotional development in immigrant and refugee children
Hobbies: traveling and exploring new places, trying different types of food, and everything Harry Potter
Goals: I hope to do research that will involve community outreach and ultimately teach in a higher education setting. Also, I want to learn how to cook well.

Kenzie Troske, Project Coordinator

Hometown: St. Paul, MN
Education: B.S. in Psychology (Loyola University Chicago, 2016)
Current Status: Project Coordinator
Research Interests: youth resilience to adverse home and family settings and how these factors affect academic, professional, and personal outcomes
Hobbies: biking, hiking, camping, playing soccer, traveling, and spending time with my family
Goals: I hope to become a certified School Psychologist to support the behavioral and emotional needs of students as it relates to their academic and future success.

Lisa White, Post-doctoral Research Assistant

Hometown: Madison, New Jersey
Education: Ph.D. Developmental Psychology, University of Miami (August 2017), B.A. Double Major in Spanish and History, Minor in Psychology, Rutgers University (May 2009)
Current Status: Postdoctoral Researcher
Research Interests: early childhood, language, cognitive and social-emotional development, dual language learning, school readiness and preschool education for low-income children, early science education
Hobbies: traveling, biking, yoga, hiking, being outside in the nature, cooking and baking dairy-free delights!
Goals: I am hoping to become a Professor of Developmental Psychology/Education and further my research on reducing the achievement gap for children from low-income backgrounds, particularly by promoting their academic and social-emotional development in the context of high-quality learning environments.

Amy Governale, Graduate Student

Hometown: Green Brook, NJ
Education: B.S. in Psychology, Minor in Human Physiology (Boston University 2012), M.A. in Developmental Psychology (Loyola University Chicago 2015)
Current Status: 5th year grad student in Loyola University Chicago's Developmental Psychology Ph.D. Program
Research Interests: identity development in adolescents from low income families
Hobbies: I enjoy riding my bike (especially along the lake) and taking care of my 3 cats.
Goals: I hope to finish my dissertation and continue to work with community based organizations.

Undergraduate Research team 2017-2018:

Kelsey Johnson-Davis, Junior at Loyola University Chicago
Cristina Gordo, Senior at Loyola University Chicago
Alanna Bonfiglio, Senior at Loyola University Chicago
Anna Sroka, Junior at Loyola University Chicago
Rachel Rolseth, Sophomore at Loyola University Chicago

Lab Alumni as of May 1, 2017 :

Jaclyn Lennon, Lab Manager

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology (Human Services) from Loyola University Chicago in 2010, in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Loyola University Chicago

Annelise Cunningham, Lab Manager

---graduated with a B.S. in Psychology (Biology minor) from DePaul University in 2012

Mia Marcus, Graduate Student

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2010, in the Developmental Psychology Ph.D. program at Loyola University Chicago

Laura Stockdale, Graduate Student

--- graduated with a B.S. in Marriage, Family, and Human Development from Brigham Young University, M.S. in Marriage, Family, and Human Development from Brigham Young University, in the Ph.D. program in Developmental Psychology at Loyola University Chicago

Kelly Haas, Graduate Student

--- graduated with a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2013, employed as a Senior Research and Assessment Associate at McHenry County College

Tatiana Plata, Study Abroad Graduate Student

--- As of 2014 a PhD student in Psychology at the Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia

Lisa Wolff, Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Marquette University in 2013, in a master's program in Child Life at Wheelock
College in Boston

Christina Amaro, Undergraduate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology (History minor) from Loyola University Chicago in 2011, in Clinical Ph.D. program

Zainub Ashrati, Undergraduate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology/Pre-Medicine from Loyola University Chicago in 2011, in Master's program

Jessie Duncan, Undergraduate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology/Pre-Medicine from Loyola University Chicago in 2012, in medical school

Sophia Mir, Undergraduate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology & Biology from Loyola University Chicago in 2012, currently in a M.A. program for Clinical Psychology at DePaul University

Donna Flores, Undergraduate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology (Sociology minor) from Loyola University Chicago in 2012, currently in a Ph.D. program for Clinical Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln

Sarah Pekoc, Undergraduate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology (Criminal Justice minor) from Loyola University Chicago in 2013, currently a research assistant at Northwestern University

Julia Kopcienski, Undergraduate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology Loyola University Chicago in 2013, currently at the George Washington University School of Law and School of Public Policy

Tom Campbell, Undergraduate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2014, working as an Application Specialist with Fieldglass Inc.

Kayla Max, Undergraduate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2014, working for CorePower Yoga as an instructor and facilitator.

Patrick Henry, Lab Manager
--- graduated with a M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2016
Valerie Flores, Graduate Student
--- graduated with a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Loyola University in 2015, working at Grand Canyon University.
Sabreen Onallah, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Loyola University Chicago in 2016, currently a student at Illinois College of Optometry
Alex Groffsky, Project Coordinator
--- graduate with a BS in Psychology and minor in Busines from Kalamazoo College in 2015, Currently working in experiential marketing at Jack Morton Worldwide
Marc Cabe, Project Coordinator
--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2016, currently a student at University of Southern California's M.S. in Applied Psychology program.
Greg Kasper, Project Coordinator
--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2016, currently a student at Boston's M.A. in Social Work program.
Christy Vargas, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Spanish from Loyola University Chicago in 2017, currently a student at the University of Michigan's M.A. in Social Work program.
Liz Bose, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2017, currently pursuing a M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Reed Ronan, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Communications from Loyola University Chicago in 2017, currently a student at Regis University's M.A. in Counseling program.
Zil Gharia, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- graduated with a B.S. in Biology, applying to Medical Schools and also continue work as an EMT.
Caitlin Prater, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology.
Kira Hinz, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- graduated in a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago 201, applying to Occupational Therapy graduate programs.
Abby Maas, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- currently a senior at Loyola University of Chicago, plans to graduate May 2018 and hopes to attend Graduate School for Child Psychology or Social Work.