Kelsey Lucca, PhD

Principal Investigator | email

Kelsey is an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University in the Psychology Department. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology & Neuroscience from Duke University, and conducted a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington. Her research on curiosity and cognitive development has been recognized through the Society For Research in Child Development’s Early Career Award and the National Science Foundation’s CAREER Award. She is the co-director of the Early Childhood Cognition Research Group, a lead investigator on the ManyBabies project, and faculty at the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute. When Kelsey is not in the lab, she can be found exploring the Southwest with her dogs, Homer and Juno.

Julie Vaisarova, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher

I earned my Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2022. My research primarily focuses on the development of creative thinking in childhood, and intersections with the development of other cognitive processes (e.g., executive function) and experiences (e.g., starting school). I also love teaching, and I’m interested in practices that help create more inclusive learning spaces. When I’m not science-ing I love to knit, play board games, and work on the most challenging jigsaw puzzles I can find.

Nayen Lee, M.A.

PhD Candidate

I graduated from Sogang University, South Korea in 2019 with a B.A in Psychology & English literature. I received my master's degree in Developmental Psychology from Yonsei University, South Korea in 2021. My research mainly focuses on understanding early curiosity: (1) how we measure early curiosity, (2) what contributes to individual differences in early curiosity, and (3) how early curiosity is related to social and cognitive development. I am an animal lover and I enjoy doing yoga and watching movies (my favorite is Inception!) in my free time.

Elise Mahaffey, B.S.

PhD Student

I graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2019 with a B.S. in Child Development. Before coming to ASU, I was a Lab Manager at Rutgers University-Newark (PI: Vanessa LoBue) and at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (PI: Elizabeth Bonawitz). My research explores adult-child pedagogical interactions, including how children interpret nuances from their social environment to determine when it is optimal to take on challenging tasks. Through my research, I hope to better understand under what conditions adult caregivers can best support children's learning, persistence, and challenge-seeking behavior. Outside of the lab, I enjoy weightlifting, running, and reading fiction (my favorite author is Liane Moriarty)!

Subhana Siddiqui

Research Assistant & Social Media Manager

I am a Senior at Arizona State University pursuing a BA in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I am interested in clinical developmental psychology, I hope to attend graduate school and attain a masters in Counseling. I developed a love for working with kids ever since I started teaching at my local Sunday school. In my free time I enjoy doing Taekwondo, reading, binge watching shows, hanging out with friends, and trying new coffee shops.

Christina Stewart

Research Assistant & Student Lab Manager

I am a Junior at Barrett, the Honors College studying Psychology and Family and Human Development. I have always had a passion for kids and knew I wanted to help them throughout my career. So, I am excited to pursue a career in Child Clinical Psychology and learn more about children through research and help them through clinical practice. For fun, I like to watch crazy psychology documentaries, bake, do puzzles, and have game nights with friends!

Natalia Gonzalez

Emerging Scholars Summer Intern & Research Assistant

Hello! I am a Senior at Arizona State University pursuing a B.S. in Psychology along with a minor in Family and Human Development. I am interested in neurodiversity and educational issues relevant to learning and development in schools and other communities. In my free time I enjoy painting, being in nature and playing with my dog! *Natalia is the recipient of the 2023 Emerging Scholars Summer Internship Program, supporting her work on the “Ready, Set, Play” curiosity project.

Sarah Nesbit

Research Assistant & Social Curiosity Team Lead

Hi everyone! I am currently a senior at Barrett, the Honors College at ASU double majoring in Psychology and Family and Human Development with a minor in Early Childhood Education.  I am very interested in developmental and clinical psychology.  After graduating, I hope to obtain my PhD and become an adolescent psychologist. Outside of the lab, I work as a daycare teacher and an ASU tour guide.  In my free time, I like watching movies, going to the gym, and spending time with my pets - two lizards, a snake, and a dog!

Helena Goldbaum

Research Assistant & Imagine That Team Lead

Hi everyone! My name is Helena Goldbaum, and I am a Senior at Barrett, the Honors College at ASU. I am double majoring in Psychology and Family and Human Development. My main interests include developmental and clinical psychology, both with a specific focus on children in the early development stage! I believe we can make a huge positive impact on kiddos and support them to become great humans! After graduating, I plan to get a Ph.D. in developmental or clinical psychology. This way, through science and research, I can make an impact and learn more about my passions! For fun, I enjoy cooking, hanging out with friends, as well as traveling, and watching comedy shows. 

Dylan Perazzo

Research Assistant

Hello, my name is Dylan Perazzo. I am a Junior at Arizona State University. I am pursuing a B.S. in Psychology. My interests are Clinical Psychology and Child Development. After graduating, I plan to attend graduate school and earn my masters in Marriage and Family Counseling. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends, trying new foods, and watching movies.

Isabella Ira

Research Assistant

Hello everyone! I’m Isabella, and I am a senior at Arizona State University. I’m currently double majoring in Biochemistry and Microbiology and minoring in Business. My affection for kids and my curiosity in research naturally guided me to Emerging Minds. After I graduate, I plan to attend PA school to become a future physician assistant! Some interests I have are true crime podcasts, going to the gym, and cooking.

Heather Peters

Research Assistant

Hi, my name is Heather Peters. I am majoring in Psychology with minors in Organizational Leadership and Chinese. I am a junior at Arizona State University, Barrett the Honors College. I will be graduating in the spring of 2025. After graduation, I plan on getting my Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology. My dream career is to be an Industrial Organizational Psychologist. In my spare time, I foster rescue puppies. I love to create art collages. I love being out in nature, going on hikes and adventures.

Chris Moore

Research Assistant

I am a junior at ASU majoring in psychology. Right now, I am most interested in learning about children and their development, specifically how to encourage healthy characteristics like resilience and curiosity in them to best prepare them for life’s challenges. I hope to become a therapist so that I can work to make people’s lives better. To make my life better, I like to work out, sing, cook, and spend time with my friends and family.

Lily Gosar

Research Assistant

Hi everyone! I am a junior at Barrett, the Honors College, and I am currently pursuing a Psychology (B.S.) degree. I am interested in clinical and developmental psychology due to my past work experience as a teaching assistant at a preschool and camp counselor. After graduation, I plan to pursue a PhD to become a clinical child psychologist. I enjoy making music, dancing, baking, and going to the movies in my free time!

Avery Sulzer

Research Assistant

Hello! I am currently a Junior and am majoring in Psychology with a minor in Family Studies and Human Development. I have discovered a newfound love of developmental psychology and I am excited to immerse myself in the field through the EML! I hope to continue my academics in obtaining my masters in counseling and work my way up to a PhD. In my free time I love to read, paint, and cook!

Diana Espinoza

Research Assistant

Hello, my name is Diana Espinoza Aguilar and I am a sophomore majoring in psychology! I am interested in school psychology, developmental psychology, and family structures. I plan on furthering my education by attending graduate school after receiving my undergraduate degree. In my free time I enjoy reading all kinds of things, watching movies and shows, and playing games!

Hanna Zubairi

Research Assistant

Hi! I'm a junior majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Political Science at Barrett, the Honors College. My favorite area of psychology is developmental psychology and its application to education and learning. After graduating, I plan to join the healthcare field and work in pediatrics. In my free time, I love playing videogames, writing, and spending time with family and friends.

Miranda Salinas

Emerging Scholars Summer Intern & Research Assistant

Hi! I am a junior at ASU and I am majoring in psychology. Currently, I am most interested in developmental and clinical psychology. After I receive my undergraduate degree, I plan on continuing my studies in graduate school. In my free time I enjoy reading, spending time outside, cooking, and going to the gym!

Kristal Jensen

Research Assistant

Hello! I am a junior majoring in Psychology (BS). My main areas of interest are developmental and clinical psychology. I am particularly intrigued by how learning evolves throughout development and its impact on success in adulthood. As a first-generation college student, I plan to continue my educational journey by earning a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Angela Sun

Research Assistant

Hello. My name is Angela Sun, and I'm a sophomore double majoring in psychology and family and human development. My research interests include neuroscience, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, clinical psychology, and many more! For fun, I like hanging out with friends, going out on boba tea runs, and running.

Soham Gawali

Research Assistant

Hi! I’m currently a junior studying Neuroscience at Barrett. My primary interest lies in the psychology of child behavior, specifically understanding the factors that lead to negative behaviors and exploring strategies to encourage positive actions. After graduation, I plan on pursuing a career in the healthcare field. In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, skiing, and hiking!

Haley Ratcliffe

Research Assistant

Hi everyone! I am currently a junior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Family and Human Development. I am interested in developmental and clinical psychology. After I graduate, I hope to get my master’s in clinical psychology and become a clinical psychologist. My overall goal though is to open my own private practice. In my free time, I love watching movies, spending time with my friends and family, traveling, and reading.

Michael Kim

Research Assistant

Hello, my name is Michael Kim. I am currently a Junior majoring in Psychology at Arizona State University. My focus is in child development, specifically how different environments affect the mental state of children. I hope to get into a graduate program and pursue my Ph.D in the near future and conduct my own lab. I enjoy working out, writing poetry, and eating crumbl cookies.

Arianna Colosimo

Research Assistant

Hello all! My name is Arianna and I am a senior undergraduate student majoring in Psychology at Arizona State University. After graduating in the spring, I will attend graduate school to pursue my interests in Neuroscience.  I am actively working my way up to get my Ph.D in clinical neuropsychology. In my free time, I enjoy drawing, going to concerts, hanging out with friends, and reading.

Homer

Chewy

Harley

Daisy

Smitty

Eggsy

Juno

Chonky

Wybie

Mordecai

Hiccup

Kitty

Lab Alumni

Past Lab Managers & Post-Bac Research Staff

Past Research Assistants

• Sandra Lewkins - Research Assistant ‘23-24

• Andrea Jamieson- Research Assistant ‘23-34

• Alina Kurec - Research Assistant ‘23-24

• Michael Moroz - Research Assistant ‘23

• Faith Keist - Research Assistant ‘23

• Neelsha Parekh - Research Assistant ‘23

• Emma Orser - Research Assistant ‘23

• Gemma Trimble - Honors Thesis Student ‘22-23

• Anna Hinojosa - Research Assistant ‘21-’23

• Eryk Mejia - Honors Thesis Student ‘22-’23; Recipient of Barrett Honors College Thesis Funding Award

• Paola Hernandez - Honors Thesis Student ‘22-’23; Recipient of Barrett Honors College Thesis Funding Award & the Janessa Shapiro Undergraduate Research Award for outstanding research, “Using Curiosity to Build Resilience”.

• Anika Islam - Honors Thesis Student ‘22-’23; Recipient of Barrett Honors College Thesis Funding Award and the Barrett Honors College Mensch Award for creativity and innovation in research.

• Vijaya Nandiwada-Hofer - Research Assistant ‘21-’23; Awarded second place presentation at AZPURC 2023

• Brooke Smith - Research Assistant ‘21-’22, Student Lab Manager ‘22

• Lex Saguid - Research Assistant ‘20-22

• Nicole Johnson - Honors Thesis Student '21-'22,  Recipient of the Barrett Honors College Thesis Funding Award

• Sonia Patel - Honors Thesis Student '20-'22,  Recipient of the Barrett Honors College Thesis Funding Award

• Kaitlin Van Houghton - Honors Thesis Student '21-'22, Recipient of the Barrett Honors College Thesis Funding Award

• Alejandro Caballero - Research Assistant ‘19-’22, Awarded first place presentation at AZPURC 2022 for work on children’s persistence.

• Natalie Snodgrass - Research Assistant ‘21-’22 

• Courtney Hoffman - Research Assistant ‘22

• Savannah Goshgarian - Research Assistant ‘21 

• Olivia Zimmerman -  Research Assistant ‘21 

• Kyleigh Gates-Haas - Research Assistant ‘21 

• Kalie Scirpo -  Honors Thesis Student '20-'21,  Recipient of the Barrett Honors College Thesis Funding Award 

• Shani McCollum - Honors Thesis Student '19-'21,  Recipient of the Barrett Honors College Thesis Funding Award

• Carlos Gomez - Research Assistant ‘19-’20 

• Nathan Tesman - Research Assistant ‘19-’20

• Mudita Belani -  Research Assistant ’20

• Taylor Henderson - Research Assistant ‘19-’20