I’m currently a second-year doctoral student at the University of California, Riverside, advised by Dr. Rebekah Richert in the Childhood Cognition Laboratory. I am also a Graduate Researcher and collaborator with the Developing Belief Network, a collaborative, multi-university research network which studies belief development across cultures and religions.

Prior to my PhD, I earned my B.S. in Clinical Psychology from University of California, San Diego, where I also completed my honors thesis and post-baccalaureate research assistantship with Dr. Caren Walker. My undergraduate and post-baccalaureate work were primarily centered around children's utilization of their causal knowledge as a conceptual guide to question asking (see in: Projects, Publications). 

As a PhD student, my research seeks to understand how young learners’ developing beliefs and social contexts influence their epistemic practices and emerging understanding of their own uncertainty (e.g., in question asking). I take particular care to incorporate open science practices and advanced quantitative methods into my work. I am currently seeking funding opportunities to support my work.

Since starting at UC Riverside in September of 2025, I’ve built upon my strong foundation in experimental psychology by strengthening my work’s theoretical roots and expanding my repertoire of quantitative methodology to include more advanced regression methods (e.g., mixed-effects logistic regression) and structural equation modeling (e.g., structural regression, confirmatory factor analysis) in R. 

In August of 2026, I just finished up my first graduate-level TA position in Psychological Methods: Statistical Procedures (PSYC 011, Summer Session B 2026; see in Courses), which I thoroughly enjoyed despite the challenging course material and additional obstacles related to online teaching. My experience as a TA for PSYC 011 affirmed my desire to teach beyond graduate school. In the upcoming Fall 2026 quarter, I am looking forward to taking on additional TA work (one additional section) in Introductory Psychology (PSYC 001).

This academic year, I'm excited to continue my work as a TA and mentor, while advancing my work examining children's certainty about their beliefs (see in Projects). I’ll be finishing up my program’s required coursework and a degree milestone (my Second Year Project), culminating in earning my master's degree in June of 2027.

Additional Activities

I find joy within academia through community organization, including in my capacity as Interdepartmental Writing Group Convener (funded via the Center for Ideas and Society), and union volunteer (e.g., facilitating a union orientation for the incoming psychology PhD cohort). I look forward to finding new ways to channel my skills in community organization, interpersonal communication, and mentorship as I progress in the PhD program.

Outside of academia, you can often find me with knitting needles and yarn in my hands. I deeply enjoy creating my own clothing and accessories with fiber arts (i.e., knitting & crochet).