Current Graduate Students
Lorena Aceves
Lorena is from Inglewook, CA, and received her B.S. in FSHD from the University of Arizona. Her advisor is Mayra Bamaca. Lorena's research interests include Latino adolescent development and academic achievement and URiM students in higher and professional education
Email: lqa5151@psu.edu
Elizabeth Allen
Elizabeth (Liz) is from Syracuse, NY, and received her BA in Psychology from Bucknell University. Her advisor is Chad Shenk. Liz's research interests include child maltreatment, intervention, and prevention.
Email: eka10@psu.edu
Penina Backer
Penina is from Baltimore, MD, and received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and her M.S. in HDFS from Penn State. Her advisor is Cindy Stifter. Penina's research interests include early childhood, reactivity and regulation.
Email: pmb203@psu.edu
Liu Bai
Liu Bai is from Beijing, China and received her B.S in Psychology and M.Ed. in Developmental Psychology from Beijing Normal University. Her advisor is Doug Teti. She is interested in parenting, co-parenting and children's emotional development.
Email: liubai@psu.edu
Lizbeth (Libby) Benson
Libby is from Wausau, WI, and received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her advisors are Nilam Ram and David Almeida. Libby's research interests are in Methodology, dynamic systems, intraindividual variability and change, and well-Being
Email: leb237@psu.edu
Summer Braun
Summer is from Jupiter, FL, and received her B.A. from Rollins College. Her advisor is Scott Gest. Summer's research interests involve understanding elementary teachers and the effect they have on students' social and emotional development, and prevention/intervention efforts that promote healthy teachers and students, with particular attention to gender differences.
Email: ssb184@psu.edu
Miriam Brinberg
Miriam (Mimi) is from Blacksburg, VA, and received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her advisor is Nilam Ram. Her reserch area is Methodology.
Email: mjb6504@psu.edu
Brian Calhoun
Brian is from Richmond, Virginia, and he received his B.S. in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University and his M.S. in HDFS from Penn State. Brian's advisor is Jennifer Maggs. His research focuses on identifying predictors and consequences of heavy episodic and high-intensity drinking during adolescence and the transition to adulthood.
Email: bhc120@psu.edu
Hye Won Chai
Hye Won is from Seoul Korea and received her B.A and B.S in Political Science and Child & Family Studies, and her M.A. in Child & Family Studies, from Yonsei University. Her advisor is David Almeida. Her interests are in family relationships in late life, and demography and aging.
Email: huc178@psu.edu
Meng Chen
Meng is from Dalian, China. She received her B.A. in Mathematics and Psychology from Smith College. Her advisor is Sy-Miin Chow. She is interested in the area of methodology.
Email: mxc681@psu.edu
Ulziima Chimed-Ochir
Email: uxc17@psu.edu
Blake Colaianne
Blake is from Latrobe, PA and received his B.S. in Earth Science/Secondary Education from Juniata College and his M.Ed. in Mind, Brain, and Education from Harvard University. His advisor is Robert Roeser, and he is interested in mindfulness and compassion education for students and teachers.
Email: bac316@psu.edu
Kristine Creavey
Kristine is from Mechanicsburg, PA, and receved her B.S. in Psychobiology and German from Lebanon Valley College. Her advisor is Lisa Kopp. Kristine's research interests are childhood brain development and prevention/intervention.
Email: klb63@psu.edu
Chelsea Dickens
Email: czd171@psu.edu
Sara Freed
Sara is from Mechanicsburg, PA and received her B.S. in Human Developmen and Family Studies from Penn State. Her advisor is Lesley Ross. She is interested in aging and prevention.
Email: syf5079@psu.edu
Kaitlin Fronberg
Email: kmf37@psu.edu
Allison Gray
Allison is from Williamsburg, VA, and received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Virginia. Her advisor is Tim Brick. Allison's research interests include emotion, facial expressions and conversation dynamics.
Email: axg5562@psu.edu
Lawrie Green
Lawrie is from Raleigh, NC, and recieved her B.S. in Computational Science & Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her advisor is Max Crowley. Lawrie's interests include prevention and intervention research and evidence-based policy.
Email: lzg5241@psu.edu
Amanda Griffin
Amanda is from Alexandria, VA, and received her B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Tech. Her advisor is Bo Cleveland. Amanda's research interests are adolescence and behavioral genetics.
Email: amg5435@psu.edu
Katharine Grills
Katharine (Katie) is from Rochester Hills, MI, and received her B.A. in Psychology from Kalamazoo College. Her advisor is Cindy Stifter. Katie is interested in parent-child relationships and self-regulation development during infancy and early childhood.
Email: kjg5428@psu.edu
Allison Hepworth
Allison is from Waynesboro, PA. She received B.S. (Psychology minor) and M.S. degrees in HDFS from Penn State University. Her advisors are Meg Small and Tim Brick. Allison's research examines information seeking and use processes in the context of parent's child feeding behavior.
Email: aed5142@psu.edu
Anna Hochgraf
Anna is from Durham, NH, and received her B.A. in psychology and public health from the College of William and Mary. Her advisor is Susan McHale. Anna’s research interests include family relationships and the development and prevention of eating disorders and obesity.
Email: akh7@psu.edu
Kyle Husmann
Kyle is from Santa Clara, CA and received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University. His advisor is Tim Brick. Kyle is interested in education, poverty, and special needs.
Email: kdh38@psu.edu
Jinshil Hyun
Jinshil is from Seoul, Korea. She received her BA and MA in Psychology from Yonsei University. Her advisor is Martin Sliwinski. Jinshil is interested in cognitive aging, stress processes, and psychosocial work conditions.
Email: juh283@psu.edu
August Jenkins
Email: acj5@psu.edu
Linying Ji
Linying received her B. A in English from Guandong University and her M.Ed. in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard. Her advisor is Sy-Miin Chow. Linying is interested in methodology and child development.
Email: lzj114@psu.edu
Ni Jian
Ni is from Fuding, China, and received a B.A. in Public Finance and a B. S. in Psychology from Peking University. Her adviser is Susan McHale. Her research interests are development of attachment, emotion regulation, and parenting.
Email: nxj133@psu.edu
Jee Eun Kang
Email: jxk692@psu.edu
Abigail Keim
Abigail (Abby) is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and received her B.A. in Psychology from Hamilton College. Her advisor is Scott Gest. Abby's reserch interests include peer and teacher relationships in elementary classrooms, English learners and immigrant students, and school-based interventions.
Email: abk5338@psu.edu
Kyler Knapp
Kyler is from Lake Odessa, MI and received his B.S. in Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies from Central Michigan University. His advisor is Bo Cleveland. Kyler's research interests include adolescent and young adult wellbeing and identity development across cultures, and prevention/intervention research.
Email: ksk40@psu.edu
Rachel Koffer
Rachel is from Herndon, VA, and received her B.A in Psychology from Brandeis University. Her advisors are David Almeida and Nilam Ram. Rachel's research interests are in adult development and aging and methodology.
Email: rek183@psu.edu
Yunying Le
Yunying (Annie) is from Shanhai, China, and received a B.S. in Applied Psychology from East China Normal University and also from Colorado State University. Her advisor is Steffany Fredman. Annie's research interests are in couples and family relationships across the life span.
Email: yxl265@psu.edu
Jungmin Lee
Email: jzl95@psu.edu
Jacinda Li
Jacinda is from Potomac, MD, and received her B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Her advisor is Jennie Noll. She is interested in the effects of adverse childhood experiences on psychosocial development; trauma-informed intervention and prevention; Mindfulness-based prevention and intervention.
Email: jcl270@psu.edu
Emily LoBraico
Emily is from Shrewsbury, NJ, and received her B.A. in Psychology from Syracuse University. Her advisor is Greg Fosco. Emily's research interests include family systems, prevention/intervention, and child development.
Email: eql5177@psu.edu
Hio Wa (Grace) Mak
Grace is from Macau and received her B.S in Psychology and M.S. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Macau. Her advisor is Greg Fosco. She is interested in family, peer, and emotional risk factors for adolescent internalizing symptoms and substance use.
Email: gracemak@psu.edu
Griselda Martinez
Griselda is from Los Angeles, CA, and received her B.A. in Psychology and Chicana/o Studies and her M.A. in General Experimental Psychology from California State University, Northridge. Her advisor is Mayra Bámaca. Griselda’s research interests include parent-adolescent relationships, adolescents’ mental health, and academic outcomes.
Email: gxm212@psu.edu
Keiana Mayfield
Kieana is from Richmond, VA, and received her B.A in Sociology from University of Virginia and her MSW from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her advisors are Greg Fosco and Doug Teti. Kieana is interested in interparental relationships, child and adolescent development, family processes, and prevention/intervention.
Devin McCauley
Devin received his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Connecticut. His advisor is Gregory Fosco. His research interests include family influences in adolescent social-emotional development, as well as school-based prevention interventions.
Email: dwm23@psu.edu
Aaron Miller
Aaron is from State College, PA, and received his B.S. from HDFS at Penn State. His advisor is Scott Gest. Aaron's research interests are social and emotional development in preschool and elementary children, and motivation achievement in children and adolescents.
Email: amm371@psu.edu
Chelsea Muth
Chelsea is from Morgantown, WV, and received her BA in Anthropology from New York University and her MA in Psychology from University of California, Davis. Her advisor is Zita Oravecz. Chelsea's interests are in well-being psychology and ecological assessment.
Email: cbm5352@psu.edu
Suyong Nah
Email: sxn88@psu.edu
Lu (Jane) Ou
Lu is from Chengdu, China, and received her B.S. in Mathematics & Applied Math from Zhejiang Univeristy. Her advisor is Sy-Miin Chow. Her research interest is methodology.
Email: lzo114@psu.edu
Daniel Petrie
Email: djp67@psu.edu
Jonathan Reader
Jonathan is from Stroudsburg, PA, and received his B.S. and M.S. in HDFS from PSU. His advisor is Jennie Noll. Jonathan's research interests are in child sexual abuse prevention, program development, implementation, and public policy.
Email: jmr5285@psu.edu
Wen Ren
Wen is from Nanjing, China and received his B.A. in Statistics and B.S. in Psychology from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. His advisor is Diana Fishbein. Wen is interested in substance use and adolescent risk taking.
Email: wxr37@psu.edu
Hye Young (Grace) Rhee
Grace is from South Korea, and received her B.A. and M.A. in CD&FS/Psychology from Seoul National University. Her advisor is Doug Teti. Grace's research interests are attachment, parenting, and infant/child socioemotional development.
Email: hur119@psu.edu
Nicole Roberts
Nicole is from Pittsburgh, PA, and received her B.A. in Psychology from Westminster College, and her M.S. in Psychology from the University of Bath, England. Her advisor is Charles Geier. Nicole is interested in neuroscience, addiction, and at risk decision making.
Email: njr175@psu.edu
Jacoba Rock
Jacoba is from Spring Mount, PA, and Lyons, CO, and received her M.S.W. (Social Work) degree from the University of Denver. Her advisors are Bo Cleveland and Denni Fishbein. Jacoba’s research interests are adolescence and young adulthood, externalizing behaviors (such as physical aggression and criminality), the impact of childhood trauma, biological and social contributions, and implications for intervention in the juvenile and adult justice systems.
Email: jar77@psu.edu
Patrick Ryan
Patrick (Pat) is from Marshfield, MA, and received his BA in Psychology from Emmanuel College and his M.S. in Neuroscience from Trinity College, Dublin. His advisor is Lisa Kopp. Pat is interested in psychophysiology and emotion regulation.
Email: ppr5047@psu.edu
Briana Sprague
Briana is from Valley Falls, Kansas, and received her B.A. in Psychology and a methodology minor from the University of Kansas. Her advisor is Lesley Ross. Briana's research interests are in the relationship between physical and cognitive function, and how to implement advanced statistical models to examine these relationships in older adults.
Email: bns142@psu.edu
Ashley Stanford
Ashley is from Crown Point, IN and received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Indianapolis. Her advisor is Lynn Martire. Ashley is interested in the dissemination and implementation of interventions for unpaid caregivers.
Email: axs6110@psu.edu
Jillian Strayhorn
Email: jcs532@psu.edu
Xiaoran Sun
Xiaoran is from Weifang, China, and received her B.S. in Psychology from Zhejiang University. Her advisor is Susan McHale. She is interested in family systems processes and youth adjustment.
Email: xbs5014@psu.edu
Agus Surachman
Agus is from West Java, Indonesia, and received his B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences from Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia and M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from Purdue University-Calumet. His advisor is Dave Almeida. Agus’ research interests focus on biopsychosocial mechanisms associated with socioeconomic disparities in health across adulthood.
Email: axs527@psu.edu
Shyuan Ching Tan
Shyuan is from Singapore/Taiwan. She received her MBA from University of Minnesota and her MA in Gerontology from San Francisco State University. Her research interest is in minority older adults’ cognitive health and she is currently working with Dr. Gamaldo.
Email: sxt387@psu.edu
Quang Trieu
Quang is from Cao Bang, Vietnam, and received his B.EC. from Vietnam N.U. in Economics, B.ENGL from Hanoi University and M.A. from Brandeis. His advisor is Rukmalie Jayakody. Quang's research interests are development programs, ethnic minorities, applied policy, international development, poverty and social welfare.
Email: qtt104@psu.edu
Sabrina Voltaire
Sabrina is from Cap-Haitien, Haiti, and received her B.S. in Psychology and her M.A. in Human Services from Liberty University. Her advisor is Doug Teti. Her interests include early childhood development and prevention/intervention.
Email stv113@psu.edu
Roisin White
Roisin is from Tipperary, Ireland, and received her B.A. in Psychology and M.S. in Neuroscience from Trinity College, Dublin. Roisin's advisor is Lisa Gatzke-Kopp. Her interests include developmental neuroscience, decision-making and psychopathology.
Email: ruw168@psu.edu
Julie Wood
Julie is from Columbia, MO and earned their B.S. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota with minors in mathematics and statistics. Their advisor is Nilam Ram. Julie's interests include quantitative methods for intensive longitudinal data, multiple timescale analysis, and process modeling.
Email: jfw5255@psu.edu
Mengya (Mona) Xia
Mengya is from Wuhan, China, and recieved a B.E. in Computer Science and B.S. in Psychology from Wuhan University. She also received her MEd. in Psychology from Wuhan University. Her advisor is Greg Fosco. Her research interests are family system processes and family relationships.
Email: mxx108@psu.edu
Xiao Yang
Xiao (Wendy) is from Beijing, China, and recieved her B ENG and M ENG, from Tisinghua University, and M.A. in Statistics from Columbia University. Her advisor is Nilam Ram. Wendy's interest is in methodology, specifically, multilevel modeling, differential equation modeling, social network analysis and peer relations.
Email: xfy5031@psu.edu
Kathleen Zadzora
Kathleen is from Brooklyn, NY, and received her B.A. in Psychology/Anthropology from the University of Notre Dame and her M.A. in Educational Psychology from New York University. Her advisor is Scott Gest. Kathleen's research interests are child development, child & family policy, prevention, and intervention.
Email: kmz137@psu.edu
Xutong Zhang
Xutong is from Hebei, China, and received her B.S. in Psychology from Beijing Normal University. Her adviser is Lisa Gatzke-Kopp. Xutong's research focuses on emotion regulation, parenting behaviors, and related psychophysiological mechanisms.
Email: xxz58@psu.edu
