People

Lindsey Richland is a Professor and Associate Dean of the graduate program in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. Previously, she was an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago, and she received her Ph.D in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Richland's research examines the ways that children develop complex reasoning skills, a crucial tool for success in the 21st century. She examines children's reasoning development in and out of schools, with her classroom research focusing on teaching and learning mathematics. She examines the mechanisms underpinning children's capacity to think flexibly, with studies focusing on the roles of cognitive maturation and individual differences, primary caregiver language and socialization practices, and school routines. She also examines factors shaping children's tendencies to engage in higher order thinking when opportunities are available. Her classroom work focuses on mathematics, investigating effective teaching practices for increasing higher order thinking and reducing opportunity gaps. Recently, some of her work has shifted to attend to the roles of pressure and anxiety in exacerbating such gaps【Curriculum Vitae】

Postdoctoral Scholars and Graduate Students

Hongyang Zhao is a postdoctoral researcher at the Science of Learning Lab, University of California, Irvine. She recently graduated from the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology at University of Maryland with a PhD in Educational Psychology and a master-level certificate in Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation. Her research focuses on higher order thinking including relational thinking/reasoning, measurement issues (measure development, revision, and validation), and meta-analysis.

Joseph Wong is a doctoral student at the University of California, Irvine who studies Teaching, Learning, and Educational Improvement (TLEI) while specializing in Digital Learning and Educational Technology under his advisor, Dr. Lindsey Richland. He is a researcher motivated by questions at the intersection of science education, digital media, and higher-order thinking. More specifically, he is interested in the cognitive mechanisms underlying how instructional media technologies such as online learning, virtual and augmented reality, and digital interactivity, can improve student motivation, engagement, content acquisition, and foster transferable skills. Through this work, Joseph's career goal is to bridge together his passion for digital media with science education to design effective learning experiences representative of today’s 21st-century student learning behaviors.
Website: https://jw.education.uci.edu/

Lina Carpenter is a Ph.D. student in education at University of California at Irvine, specializing in Human Development in Context (HDiC). Her research interests include emotional intelligence, promoting “soft skills” in educational contexts, and how social ecology interacts with cognition and mental load. Lina worked in Los Angeles, CA as a preschool teacher, where her experience with young children was centered around problematic classroom behavior and self-regulation, which in turn formed her current interdisciplinary research interests. Lina also has a BS in Fine Art from the University of California at Santa Cruz and an MA in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Early Childhood Education from California State University at Northridge.
【Curriculum Vitae】// Website: www.linacarpenter.com

Lab Manager

Ella Rose graduated from University of California, Irvine in 2021 where she received a B.A. in Education Sciences with specializations in Educational Research and Evaluation and Children’s Learning and Development. After graduating, she worked with Dr. Hosun Kang at UC Irvine where she studied how teacher educators understand and engage in preparing preservice teachers to teach for equity and social justice in K-12 educational settings. She is interested in how self-efficacy and identity affect children’s learning and achievement, especially in math and science.

Research Assistants

Ebrar Aslaner is a senior undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Science Education at the Bogazici University. Her research interests include investigating the process of human thinking as well as revealing the link between mathematical thinking and everyday life situations. After graduation, she plans to work on mathematics learning and design content that helps improve mathematical reasoning in a digitalizing world.

Adie Brager is a fourth year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in psychology with a focus on cognitive neuroscience. Her research interests include investigating the correlation between adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and psychopathology, specifically looking into the neural substrates of behaviors that might arise as a result of ACES. After graduating, she hopes to continue her education in the field of psychology and apply to PhD programs in clinical or neuropsychology.

Raina Haque is a second year Biological Sciences major, planning on double majoring in Education. Her research interests include understanding how to enhance classroom learning in order to help children learn STEM subjects. After graduation, she plan to take a gap year and apply to medical schools in California.

Sarea Leung is a high school student passionate about developmental and cognitive psychology, as well as language learning. She enjoys working with children through internships and volunteer work. Her research interests include studying human development across cultures and the emotional impact on thinking and performance. She plans to double major in Cognitive Science and Psychology in college and beyond.

Caitlin Liu is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.S in Psychology and B.A in Education Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. Her research interests include the aging brain and the impact of early childhood exposure to number sense on later mathematical achievement. Caitlin hopes to continue exploring the fields of beginning and end of life development with goals to best understand serving those populations.

Melinda Radilla is a first-generation UCI School of Education and Ecology undergraduate student. She is double majoring in Psychological and Education Sciences to become an Education Psychologist and researcher. She is interested in using learning analytics to answer questions about how trauma and stress manifest in higher education learning to support students' success. As a 2024 CP-LEADS (Career Pathways for Research in Learning and Education, Analytics and Data Science) fellow, she is being mentored and preparing to improve education. After graduating, Melinda will apply to the Ph.D. program to further her understanding of how to bring valuable changes to pedagogy for higher education students. She is passionate about serving the neurodivergent, first-generation, BIPOC (black, indigenous people of color), LGBTQ+, and underserved low socio-economic status communities.

Sally Levine Gaggero is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Public Health Policy and a minor in Statistics. Her research interests include the cognitive processes of how children learn math as well as managing statistical data in a variety of settings. After graduating, Sally hopes to pursue a career in Public Health.

Citlali Ramirez is a 4th year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. Her passions include working with children to comprehend how they behave and how pivotal moments and learning opportunities can be refined to yield the most beneficial outcomes for the children. Upon graduation, she plans on joining the Master’s Entry Program at UCI to begin working as a Pediatric Nurse that could potentially pave the way towards a career as a pediatrician.

See Our Lab Alumni Here!