Current Developmental Students

Nicoletta Fraire (Student) nicoletta.fraire@asu.edu

Nicoletta decided to apply to the doctoral program in developmental psychology at ASU because she was drawn to Dr. Infurna’s fascinating research in older adults’ development. Now a second-year doctoral candidate, she can vouch for the excellence of the program. She is particularly impressed with the outstanding quality of the graduate faculty as reflected in cutting-edge scholarship in multiple areas, the esprit de corps of the graduate students and their striving for excellence, and the collaborative nature of both the program itself and the Department of Psychology in general.  

Omar Staben (Student)ostaben@asu.edu

Omar chose to join ASU’s Developmental Psychology program because of the department’s commitment to academic excellence and the overwhelming amount of support from faculty and students alike. The program fosters students’ professional growth while promoting their research interests. Omar was also drawn to the program’s sense of community among the students and faculty.

Reagan Breitenstein (Student)Reagan.Styles@asu.edu

Although there are a number of reasons Reagan chose ASU for my doctoral training, she was especially drawn to the Developmental Psychology Area's diverse and transdisciplinary research interests, in which many researchers and professors have extensive knowledge regarding innovative statistical and methodological techniques. In addition, she chose to attend ASU after seeing the collaborative nature of various research projects within the Psychology Department; many research projects at ASU include researchers from various areas of Psychology or other disciplines, allowing students to receive training and knowledge in many different research areas. Finally, ASU has relationships with many community organizations and resources, such as the Phoenix Children's Hospital and the Mayo Clinic, providing students the opportunity to engage in numerous training and experiences related to their research interests (beyond their excellent coursework).

Veronica Oro (Student)Veronica.Oro@asu.edu

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in psychology and acquiring real-world experience working at a child psychiatry clinic, Veronica cultivated a strong desire to learn more regarding the development of psychopathology with a specific interest in mechanisms of intergenerational transmission. She ultimately accepted an offer from the developmental psychology program at Arizona State University to pursue her graduate studies. The program's commitment to training emerging scholars in rigorous research methods, the opportunity to learn from its accomplished faculty- particularly her advisor Dr. Kathryn Lemery-Chalfant whose mentoring philosophy and expertise in genetically informed research were the greatest draws, and the abundant resources available to graduate students (among many other things) made the decision to enroll an easy one. 

Michael Sladek (Student)msladek@asu.edu

After completing his bachelor's degree in psychology at Northwestern University, Dr. Leah Doane was a perfect fit for Mike's research interests. Mike was also drawn to the developmental program at ASU because of access to one of the strongest quantitative programs in the country, along with faculty who take an interdisciplinary biopsychosocial (and cultural) approach to human development. 

Hye Jung Park (Student)Hyejung.Park@asu.edu

Hye Jung was drawn by ASU’s vision of the New American University, quality of the Psychology Department, and the exciting work that her academic mentor, Dr. Leah Doane, was working on. The common goal of promoting inclusivity, accessibility, and equal opportunity is embedded throughout the university and Dr. Doane’s research, which motivated her to attend ASU.

Gianna Rea-Sandin (Student) Gianna.Rea-Sandin@asu.edu

Gianna chose ASU because of the strong fit with Dr. Kathy Lemery-Chalfant’s research interests. Similarly, ASU afforded Gianna the opportunity to study behavior genetics and child development together, and to obtain strong quantitative training. However, the supportive nature of the department ultimately drew Gianna to the program.

Christopher Gonzales (Student) Christopher.R.Gonzales@asu.edu

After completing his bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Northern Colorado, Chris was interested in pursuing his research interests in the development of children’s social reasoning and theory of mind. Dr William Fabricius’ research focusing on measurement and theoretical issues in theory of mind development was a perfect fit. Chris was further drawn to the program at ASU because of its focus on advanced quantitative methods and training in experimental design. Access to community-based resources such as the Child Study Lab preschool in the psychology department and the Living Lab at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix have only helped solidify Chris’ choice to enroll at ASU as the correct one.