Meet the Team

Research Team Summer 2019

Zahra Naqi, Graduate Student & Lab Manager

Hometown: Schaumburg, IL
Education: B.S. in Psychology (Loyola University Chicago 2017)
Current Status: 2nd year graduate student in Loyola University Chicago's Developmental Psychology Ph.D. Program.
Research Interests: cognitive abilities and pro-social behavior in low-income and ethnic minority preschool children, how parenting and culture relate overall social and emotional development
Hobbies: exploring new places, spending time with family and friends, trying different types of food, and everything Harry Potter
Goals: I hope to get my Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. I would like to conduct research with refugee families to expand knowledge on and support the social and emotional needs of refugee children as it relates to their overall psychological well-being.

Amanda Boyer, Project Coordinator & Post-Baccalaureate Researcher

Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Education: B.S. in Psychology (Loyola University Chicago 2019)
Current Status: Project Coordinator & Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant
Research Interests: I would like to expand our understanding of the experiences of children from immigrant and refugee backgrounds. I am also interested in the social and emotional development of children from low income and racially/ethnically diverse backgrounds and how that relates to their school readiness and academic achievement.
Hobbies: Traveling, practicing yoga, reading all the books, and trying to be a good plant mom
Goals: I plan on going to graduate school in Developmental or Educational Psychology and conducting research that aims to improve the lives of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Research Team Summer 2019:

Anna Sroka, Graduated from Loyola University Chicago (2019)
Jasmine Shughoury, Graduated from Loyola University Chicago (2019)
Rachel Rolseth, Senior at Loyola University Chicago
Michelle Garcia Leyva, Senior at Loyola University Chicago
Rohini Maddigunta, Junior at Loyola University Chicago
Bailey Sanderson, Junior at Loyola University Chicago

Lab Alumni as of Summer 2019 :

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 with a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago 201, applying to Occupational Therapy graduate programs.
Abby Maas, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- graduated from Loyola University of Chicago, plans to graduate May 2018 and hopes to attend Graduate School for Child Psychology or Social Work.
Alanna Bonfiglio, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology, accepted a teacher's assistant position through AmeriCorps.
Cristina Gordo, Undergraduate Research Assistant
--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology.
Amy Governale, Graduate Student
--- graduated with a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Loyola University in 2018, employed as an adjunct professor at North Park University in Chicago.
Lisa White, Post-Doctoral Research Assistant
--- worked as a post-doc research assistant during the 2017-2018 school year.
Kenzie Troske, Project Coordinator & Undergraduate Research Assistant

--- graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2016, currently a graduate student at the University of Denver's School Psychology program.