4th Year 4-Year Fellows
Lindsay Forston - lcd9a@virginia.edu
Lindsay is a fourth year IES Pre-doctoral Fellow in the Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science Ph.D. program. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Virginia. Prior to beginning the Ph.D. program, she was a Lab Coordinator in the Early Childhood Lab at UVA.
Lindsay’s research interests lie in early intervention, language and social-emotional development, at-risk populations, and school readiness. More specifically, she is interested in developing classroom-based interventions that promote language and social-emotional development for at-risk preschoolers. She is currently working on her dissertation that investigates the predictive associations between language, self-regulation, pragmatics and problem behaviors at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning with her advisor, Sonia Cabell.
Myles I. Durkee - mid6ts@virginia.edu
Myles is an IES Pre-doctoral Fellow in Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science Ph.D. program. He works directly with his advisor Dr. Joanna Lee-Williams in the Race, Ethnicity, & Culture Research Laboratory. His research focuses on perceptions of modern-day discrimination (e.g. racial microaggressions) and he is specifically interested in encounters which are perpetrated by members of different racial/ethnic groups as well as those perpetrated by members of the same racial/ethnic group. Myles also looks at how these experiences of in-group/out-group discrimination subsequently influence the development of racial/ethnic identity in adolescents and young adults.
Additionally, Myles is a graduate research assistant in the Community Psychology Department at UVA and works with his co-advisor Dr. N. Dickon Reppucci on a longitudinal study called Project D.A.T.E. (Demand for Appreciation, Trust, & Equality). This research focuses on both risk factors (i.e. domestic violence) and protective factors (i.e. emotional support) that are associated with the quality of adolescent romantic relationships among a sample of high-risk youth.
Faiza M. Jamil - fmj5fe@virginia.edu
Faiza is currently a pre-doctoral fellow in the Educational Psychology and Applied Developmental Science Ph.D. program at the Curry School of Education. She received her B.A. in psychology from Bryn Mawr College, and her M.Ed. from The College of New Jersey. She entered graduate school with elementary school teaching experience in several countries, including Kuwait, Turkmenistan, and Thailand.
Her research interests include the measurement of teacher effectiveness and psychosocial functioning. More specifically, her line of research examines the cognitive, social, and emotional processes which co-regulate teachers’ behaviors with the children in their classroom and influence their career decisions. She works at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning with Dr. Bridget Hamre and Dr. Robert Pianta. She is currently the principal investigator of a pilot study examining the association of teachers’ emotional intelligence and sensitivity to non-verbal social stimuli with the emotional support they provide their students during classroom interactions.
3rd Year 4-Year Fellows
Amir G. François - agf4df@virginia.edu
Amir is currently an Institute for Education Sciences predoctoral fellow in the Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science Ph.D. program in the Curry School of Education. After receiving his B. A. in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, Amir taught 7th and 8th grade science and worked in Diversity Initiatives at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, MA. Next, he taught 4th grade at Edward W. Brooke Charter Public School in Roslindale, MA.
Amir is interested in social-cognitive development and race relations in educational settings. His main research interests include child and adolescent intercultural competence development, environmental influences on intergroup relations, and the role of teacher and peer attitudes on social development. Amir is currently working on a number of projects with Dr. Joanna Lee Williams, including a study evaluating intergroup dialogue in high school settings and assessing pre-service teacher’s multicultural beliefs. He is also a research assistant in the Young Women’s Leadership Program (YWLP), a positive youth development intervention program and is a member of Dr. Sophie Trawalter's Social Cognition and Behavior Lab in the Department of Psychology.
Eva Galdo - etg4p@virginia.edu
Eva is currently a predoctoral student in the Education Policy Ph.D. program in the Curry School of Education. She earned a B.A. in Mathematics and a Master in Teaching both from the University of Virginia. Prior to beginning the Ph.D. program, Eva taught high school mathematics for three years in Fairfax County and coached girls softball and basketball. Eva’s interests include teacher quality and effectiveness, early childhood education, and the ways in which policy initiatives may be implemented to help promote changes in schools that lead to improvement in student outcomes. She is working with Dr. Daphna Bassok and Dr. Luke Miller on a project examining the impact of a state preschool program on size and quality of various sectors of the childcare market.
Manuela Jiménez Herrera - mj2qd@virginia.edu
Manuela is currently a predoctoral fellow in the Educational Psychology - Applied Developmental Sciences Ph.D program in the Curry School of Education. She received a Bachelor and a Masters degree from Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. Before beginning her doctoral studies, she worked on the development, implementation and evaluation of Aulas en Paz, a socio-emotional learning program for elementary-aged children.
Her research interests include: teachers' supports; social and emotional development; and school and classroom quality, with a tangential interest in education in Latin America. She works at Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) with Dr. Bridget Hamre. She is currently working on different research projects examining the role of consultants in professional development for teachers; and the relation between teachers' characteristics, such as emotional intelligence, and their practice in the classroom.
2nd Year 4-Year Fellows
Mindy Adnot - mka9kt@virginia.edu
Melinda (Mindy) Adnot is a second year student in the dual degree Ph.D./M.P.P. Education Policy program in the Curry School of Education and Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at U.Va. Before joining the graduate program at U.Va., she served as a Project Director on the Policy team at The New Teacher Project. Most recently her work has focused on teacher evaluation in NYC, but she has also worked in teacher support and development, and new teacher selection. Prior to joining TNTP, Mindy taught 6th grade Math and Science to the wonderful students at the Secondary School for Research in Brooklyn, NY.
Brad Carter - bsc5ys@virginia.edu
Brad Carter is currently a second-year Institute for Education Sciences predoctoral fellow in the Educational Psychology and Applied Developmental Sciences (EP-ADS) Ph.D. program in the Curry School of Education. Brad was an intern in the 2010 EP-ADS Summer Undergraduate Research Program; he worked under the guidance of Dr. Marie Shoffner investigating gender gaps in children's math self-efficacy. Following the SURP program, he received a B.S. in Psychology from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Generally, Brad is interested in early interventions involving young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Specifically, his research focuses on the use of video self-modeling (VSM) as a method of intervention for young children with ASDs. He is currently investigating the effects of VSM on basic play skills. His advisor is Dr. Tina Stanton-Chapman.
Carol LC Paxton - cc9hc@virginia.edu
Carol Clark is an Institute of Education Sciences predoctoral fellow in the Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science program. Prior to returning to graduate school, she was a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, and teacher leader in grades K-8 for fifteen years. Carol taught in Virginia, Washington state, Egypt, and her home state of Texas before choosing to pursue a career as a research scientist.
Carol holds master’s degrees in Reading Education and Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science. Her research interests include support for teachers, socioemotional development, fidelity of implementation, program evaluation, and social capital in schools. She is currently working on a number of projects with her advisor, Dr. Sara Rimm-Kaufman, in the Social Development Lab at the Center for the Study of Advanced Teaching and Learning.
Scott Latham - sal3ff@virginia.edu
Scott Latham is a second year predoctoral student in the Education Policy program. He is also working towards a Masters in Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Originally from Hazlet, New Jersey, Scott received his bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College, majoring in psychology. Scott’s research interests include early childhood education and school choice, and how both of these can be used to address racial and economic achievement gaps. Scott is currently working with Professor Daphna Bassok on a number of projects that use the ECLS datasets.
Veronica Katz - vt4bd@virginia.edu
Veronica Katz is a second-year fellow in Education Policy. Originally from the West Coast, Veronica received her undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and Spanish from Washington University in St. Louis. Upon graduation, Veronica headed back west to join Teach for America in Los Angeles. She taught sixth grade for two years and also received her Master’s Degree in Education from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to moving to Charlottesville, Veronica was teaching second grade at a private school in Santa Monica, California. Having sampled public and private education, Veronica felt compelled to pursue a Ph.D. in Educational Policy in order to improve the state of public schools. Her primary research interests dwell in the area of teacher quality and teacher retention, specifically in urban schools. Veronica is an avid yogi and loves to spend her spare time traveling with her husband, Dan.
1st year 4-Year Fellows
Kelly Dietz - kd4xh@virginia.edu
Kelly Dietz is starting in the dual degree PhD/MPP Education Policy program with the Curry and Batten Schools at UVA. She is a recent graduate of New York University where she studied History with a minor in Global and Urban Education Studies. There, she started a chapter of Students for Education Reform, a national student organization that aims to mobilize undergraduates to advocate for reforms in both their own state and the nation. Last summer, she worked with KIPP Philadelphia in their Strategic Initiatives department to help with their KIPP OpenBook project and track charter legislation in Pennsylvania. She went to high school in Northern Virginia (Alexandria) and her brother attended UVA for undergrad, so she am happy to be returning to the area.
Helyn Kim - hk3a@virginia.edu
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Helyn Kim is an Institute of Education Sciences pre-doctoral fellow in the Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Sciences program, working with Dr. Dave Grissmer and Dr. Claire Cameron. Helyn earned both a B.A. in Psychology and a Master in Teaching from the University of Virginia. Prior to beginning the Ph.D. program, Helyn was an early childhood special education teacher for three years in Fairfax County before going back to school to earn a M.A. in Developmental Psychology from George Mason University. Helyn is interested in examining interrelations between developmental domains in young children with developmental disabilities, as well as the impact of early skills on later achievement outcomes.
Micela Leis - ml3kc@virginia.edu
Micela Leis is an Institute of Education Sciences predoctoral fellow in the Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science program. Prior to returning to graduate school, she was a classroom teacher for 4 years. Micela taught in Central America, in rural North Carolina (through Teach for America), and in her home state of Rhode Island.
Micela is interested in different social emotional approaches to learning, student and teacher investment and motivation, and how to create and implement school change. She is currently working on different projects with her advisor, Dr. Sara Rimm-Kaufman, in the Social Development Lab at the Center for the Study of Advanced Teaching and Learning.
Amy Roberts - amr3ef@virginia.edu
Amy is an Institute of Education Sciences predoctoral fellow in the Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science Ph.D. program at the Curry School of Education. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Roanoke College where she conducted two independent study research projects investigating teacher behaviors and student learning outcomes. Prior to graduate school, Amy worked as a Research Assistant at Towson University interpreting data for the Division of Early Childhood Development at the Maryland State Department of Education. She also worked as an educator in the childcare setting.
Amy’s research interests include social and cognitive development, teacher training and professional development, and early childhood education. She works with Dr. Jennifer LoCasale Crouch and Dr. Bridget Hamre at the Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL). She is currently working on the Effective Classroom Interactions study, investigating the use of online training for improving early childhood teachers’ interactions with their students.
Katherine Ross - kmr3ea@virginia.edu
Katherine Ross is a first year student in the Educational Psychology- Applied Developmental Science Ph.D. program in the Curry School of Education. Katherine received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a concentration in neuroscience from Pennsylvania State University. She worked in a Cognitive Aging and Neuroscience research lab and also as a social skills coach to young children in a mental health practicum while at Penn State. Before coming to Curry, Katherine was a research assistant at the Devereux Center for Resilient Children. At Devereux, she worked on a variety of research projects including the implementation and evaluation of Social and Emotional Learning programs in a high risk school district and the revision of a nationally-normed behavior rating scale for preschoolers. Katherine’s current research interests reside in health promotion and prevention efforts in youth and adolescent populations. She is working with Dr. Patrick Tolan, director of Youth-Nex.
Shannon Varga - smv2ds@virginia.edu
Shannon is entering her first year as an Institute of Education Sciences pre-doctoral fellow in the Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science Ph. D. program in the Curry School of Education. She engaged in many research and leadership opportunities prior to entering this graduate program, including the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Curry in 2011 where she worked with Dr. Patrick Tolan. Shannon received her B. A. in Psychology from Montclair State University in May of 2012.
Shannon’s research interests lie in identifying factors that encourage emotional growth and other positive aspects of development in adolescents. She is also interested in interventions: researching their effectiveness in addressing developmental issues, creating them, and their effects on policy. She will explore these issues and refine her research interests under the guidance of Dr. Nancy Deutsch.
Disha Venkatesan - dsv4sb@virginia.edu
Disha Sindhwad Venkatesan has studied Engineering in India and has a MBA from University of Connecticut. She has spent over 10 years working in marketing and corporate finance at companies like The Hartford, Circuit City and SNL Financial. She wants to use her skills and experience to make a difference focusing specifically on K-12 Education. She is pursuing a dual degree in MPP/ PhD Education Policy. A Charlottesville local and foodie she enjoys exploring the area restaurants and wineries.
2-Year Fellows
Riana Elyse Anderson - rea2my@virginia.edu
Riana Elyse Anderson is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical and Community Psychology programs at the University of Virginia. She graduated from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 2006 with degrees in Psychology and Political Science, and then taught for 2 years with Teach For America in Atlanta, Georgia. She then conducted Community Based Participatory Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland and neuropsychological research at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. She is currently investigating the longitudinal outcomes of a preventative intervention designed for low-income families with Dr. Melvin Wilson in the Cultural and Family Studies Lab in the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia. Her master's thesis investigated the contextual factors that impact parenting behaviors, including ethnicity, residential location, and family size. She plans on analyzing the longitudinal protective and promotive functions of these sociodemographic factors on child outcome in future studies. Likewise, she has been an author on two publications investigating the protective mechanisms of ethnic identification for African American adolescents and parents. Her interest in culturally-specific approaches to successful outcomes has led her to work with interventions with local community groups and schools in Washington, D.C. She ultimately aims to assist at-risk youth with practical applications of her research through coping strategies, the discussion of alternative outcomes, culturally- and contextually-relevant parenting programs, and community building, participation, and collaboration.
Kelli Bird - kb7ud@virginia.edu
Kelli Bird is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics. She received a B.S. in Economics from the University of Kansas in 2008 and a M.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia in 2010. Kelli is currently working with Professor Sarah Turner on projects related to access to higher education and financial aid. She is a two-year VEST Fellow and a participant in the Education Policy Seminar Series at the Center on Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness. Her research interests include student incentives and higher education.
Cristina Reitz-Krueger - clr6c@virginia.edu
Cristina Reitz-Krueger is currently an Institute for Education Sciences predoctoral fellow in the Community Psychology program in the Department of Psychology. She received a B.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina, and an M.A. in psychology from the University of Virginia.
She is interested in risk prevention and positive youth development, particularly with respect to adolescent romantic relationships and their intersection with law and policy. She is also interested in school-based and/or after school programs for promoting healthy adolescent development. Cristina currently works with Dick Reppucci in the Department of Psychology on projects relating to statutory relationships and teen dating violence. She also works with Nancy Deutsch on the Young Women’s Leadership Program.
Alex Smith - aas6sf@virginia.edu
Alex Smith is two-year VEST fellow pursuing his Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Virginia. He received a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics from Williams College and a M.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia. For the last two years, Alex has worked as a Research Assistant for Jim Wyckoff in the Curry School of Education on projects related to evaluating the Teacher Incentive Fund federal grant program. His research interests include student peer effects, teacher union bargaining, and the effects of local labor markets on high school student's schooling investment decisions.
