I am a Visiting Assistant Professor in Psychology at Mount Holyoke College. Prior to starting at Mount Holyoke, I spent a year as a postdoctoral research fellow with the Developing Belief Network and Kids in Context Lab at Queen’s University Belfast and earned my PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology at George Mason University in the Play Learning Arts and Youth Lab (PLAY Lab). Prior to my PhD studies, I earned a BS in Psychology and a BA in Dance from the University of Washington and an MSEd in Human Development from the University of Pennsylvania, where I conducted program evaluation research on youth extracurricular programs at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships.

My research interests fall into three primary areas including social cognitive development, psychology of the arts, and contextual influences on development. I also employ a variety of research methodologies with an emphasis on mixed methods approaches.

Before graduate school, I spent several years working as a professional dancer, working with Autistic children in school and extracurricular settings, and teaching dance to a variety of ages and ability levels. Currently, and throughout my time in graduate school, I have continued to teach dance and participate in community arts. My experiences as an artist and dance teacher have greatly influenced my research interests, research approaches, and university teaching.