About
As a developmental psychologist, I always like hearing people's "origin stories." Here's mine: As an undergraduate at Pomona College, I worked with Drs. Pat Smiley and Jessica Borelli to develop novel ways to measure a key emotional process in parent-child relationships — parental empathy, or how much parents understood their children's emotional experiences. Empathy, we discovered, was a critical (but underappreciated) ingredient that supported children's secure attachment and emotional development. This idea motivated my doctoral work with Dr. Jude Cassidy at University of Maryland, examining the development of attachment, empathy and prosocial behavior, with a focus on African American mothers and young children's positive social development.
​
Today, as a research fellow at the University of Virginia, I teach, research, speak, advocate, and write about close relationships as a foundation for mental health, brain development, and physical health from infancy through adulthood. I work collaboratively with Drs. Tobias Grossmann, Amrisha Vaish, and Joe Allen's research teams. Among the most exciting parts of this work are forging interdisciplinary research partnerships, connecting with my brilliant students, and working on a new line of community-based research on how parents shape children's emerging environmental awareness.
*Note: I will be starting a new position as an Assistant Professor
of Psychological Science at Pomona College in Fall 2024
.jpeg)
Experience & Education
2019 - Present
University of Virginia
Postdoctoral Fellow, Psychology
NICHD National Research Service Award Fellow
2014 - 2019
University of Maryland
M.S. and Ph.D., Psychology
Flagship Fellow
2008 - 2012
Pomona College
B.A., Psychology
Summa cum laude
Grants & Awards
-
PEACE Grant, 2023-2024 (Co-I; Paul Condon, PI)
2022 Samuel B. Hanser Visionary Grant designation
Mind & Life Institute -
Transformative Neurodevelopment Pilot Grant, 2022
UVA Brain Institute and Baby Brain Initiative (BaBI) -
National Research Service Award (F32), 2020-2022
National Institute of Child Health & Human Development -
Climate Impact Small Research Grant, 2020-2021
Society for Personality and Social Psychology -
Dissertation Research Award, 2018-2019
Society for Research in Child Development -
Milton Dean Havron Social Sciences Award, 2018
University of Maryland -
Dean's Research Initiative Grant, 2018-2019
University of Maryland -
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, 2015-2018
National Science Foundation -
Developmental Science Workshop Grant, 2016
University of Maryland -
Flagship Fellowship, 2014-2019
University of Maryland -
Dean's Fellowship, 2014-2015, 2018
University of Maryland -
Psychology Prize, 2012
Pomona College -
Distinction in the Senior Exercise, 2012
Pomona College
"Understanding is love's other name."
-Thich Nhat Hanh