PEOPLE

Madison Leingang is a fourth-year Psych BS major. She is interested in the cognitive development of children and the intersection of psychology and law and has hopes of going to grad school. In her free time, she can be found reading, watching bad reality TV, or looking at pictures of her family dog. 

Diya is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing her B.S. in Cognitive Sciences at UCI. Diya is interested in how early life experiences shape children's worldview and how their experiences with bi/multilingualism affect social cognition. Her current interests are writing poetry, watching thriller shows, and listening to music 24/7.

Clara is a third-year currently pursuing her B.A. in Psychological Science at UCI. She is interested in developmental psychology, specifically how children’s behavior develops, and hopes to become a pediatric occupational therapist in the future. In her free time, she dances with UCI’s MCIA dance team and loves trying new food and matcha places with friends.

Maya is a third year undergraduate student at UCI, currently pursuing her Bachelors in both Psychological Sciences and International Studies. She has a particular interest in how a research based approach to understanding social issues can affect human world views and opinions. In the future, she hopes to conduct cross-cultural research, with a focus in the developmental and social branches of psychology.

Maddie is a third year Psychology BS major. She is interested in understanding how early life experiences influence who we become and supporting individuals facing mental health challenges. She is planning to go to grad school in the future. In her free time she loves thrifting, going to concerts, and shopping with friends.

Maya Salama is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at UCI. She hopes to continue on to Graduate school and eventually receive a PhD in Psychology. She’s particularly interested in the social behavior and cognition of people throughout their entire lifespan. In her free time, she enjoys working out, running, watching movies, and drinking coffee!

Shantal is a third-year Psychology B.S. major with an interest in Behavioral Psychology; specifically studying how children's home environments and cultural upbringing impact their behavior. In her free time, Shantal enjoys painting, journaling, and scrapbooking. 

Cindy is a fourth-year undergraduate pursuing a B.S. in Psychology at UCI. She is interested in learning more about ambiguity aversion in children and how this impacts their decision-making. In her spare time, she enjoys being a violinist in the Mariachi here at UCI, watching reality TV, trying new food, and taking long walks.

Sarah is a third year Psychology B.S. major who is interested in how children’s experiences, innate knowledge, and heritable traits impact their ability to navigate the world and display prosocial behavior. Upon graduating from UCI, her future goals are to get her PhD or PsyD in clinical psychology, especially in the adolescent aspect. In her free time, Sarah enjoys watching women’s basketball, baking, and grabbing coffee.

Roger is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. He is interested in studying developmental and social psychology, as well as the ways in which experiences with inequality can shape the psychological needs of different marginalized communities. He hopes to pursue a career in clinical psychology with an emphasis in child and adolescent therapy. In his free time, Roger enjoys boba runs, spontaneously rearranging his room, and badly karaoking in his car.

Amanda Zidron is a third-year undergraduate student at UC Irvine pursuing a dual degree in Psychology, B.S. & Sociology. She is interested in social psychology, moral development, as well as the long-term impact of adverse childhood experiences. Amanda plans to continue her education by pursuing a Ph.D. after completing her undergraduate studies in her third year. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, cooking, journaling, reading, & hiking.

Esther is a fourth year Psychology B.S major at UCI. She is particularly interested in studying children’s mental health/trauma and understanding how adverse experiences can affect development and behavior. She loves working with children and plans to go to grad school in the future. In her free time she enjoys playing video games and discovering new music.

Lucia Mockridge is a third-year majoring in Psychology B.A. with the long-term goal of becoming a mental health therapist in clinical psychology. She is particularly drawn to working with children and adolescents and is deeply interested in how psychological disorders shape emotional development, behavior, and overall well-being. After completing her undergraduate degree, she plans to attend grad school and pursue licensure in order to support individuals through evidence-based and empathetic care. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places with friends, spending time in nature, cooking, drawing and painting, and watching movies.

Jessica is a third-year Psychology (B.S.) major. She is interested in learning how the intersection of neurodevelopmental conditions and a child’s gender identity influences their development. Jessica hopes to attend a graduate program after her time here at UCI. In her free time, she loves to read, crochet, create new outfits, listen to music, and watch cheesy rom-coms!

Natalie is pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. She is interested in the impact of consistent virtual media on the developing mind as well as the correlation between adolescent eating habits and behavior. Her long term goal is to become a medical professional focusing on a holistic approach to health. In her free time she loves watching movies, going to the beach, and seeking out the best coffee shops.

Tara is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a double major in Psychological Science, B.A. and Dance. She is interested in child psychology, specifically moral development and decision-making in children as they mature. After graduating, Tara plans to go to graduate school to continue her education. In her free time, she is always dancing, walking along the beach, and reading.

Yujeong Ok (Katie) is a second-year B.S. Psychology major at UCI. Growing up overseas in a multicultural environment, she is interested in how bilingual and cross-cultural contexts shape children’s understanding of social norms, fairness, and inequality. After graduating from UCI, she hopes to pursue a PhD in psychology, focusing on developmental research through a cognitive neuroscience lens. In her free time, she enjoys discovering cafés that feel like they belong in a movie, reading with far too many sticky notes, and turning quiet afternoons into elaborate cooking experiments.

Deepthi is a second- year undergraduate pursuing her B.S in Psychology at UCI. She is interested in developmental psychology and human behavior. In the future, she hopes to pursue a future career that integrates psychological research with therapeutic practice to support individuals and communities.

Niveda is a sophomore pursuing a B.S. degree in Psychology. She is interested in learning more about how children perceive the future and how that contributes towards their ability to goal plan. She plans to move on to graduate school and earn a P.H.D or PsyD in psychology. In her free time, she enjoys making jewelry, reading, journaling, and/ or going to the beach.

Alison is a new transfer student from San Diego California and is obtaining a B.A in Psychology. She is interested in developmental psychology and is interested in the process of how kids come to their own conclusions. In the future she is hoping to go to grad school and wants to work with children and their families to better their wellbeing. In her free time she attempts new baking recipes, cooks her favorite comfort foods, crafting, dancing, and loves to watch comedy movies.

Phoenix is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychological Sciences B.A. currently at UCI. She aims to continue her education and complete a graduate degree. She is interested in studying more about factors that can lead to prosocial behavior development in children and how to implement that into therapeutic settings. In her free time, she enjoys creating art as well as crafting.

Lucie is a fourth-year Psychology major with a minor in Education. She loves working with children and dreams of becoming a child psychologist. After graduating, she hopes to pursue graduate school for either a PhD or PsyD. She is especially interested in child development and understanding how early life experiences shape who we become as adults. In her free time, Lucie enjoys traveling, thrifting, getting sweet treats, hiking, going to the beach, and spending time with her family and friends.